The limited cuvee from the Cote Brune, the 1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne (250 cases) is prodigious. Readers lucky enough to track down a bottle or two will own a legend in the making. However, 8-9 years of cellaring are required before this wine rounds into drinkable form. An opaque black/purple color is accompanied by sublime aromas of licorice, espresso, scorched earth, tapenade, bacon fat, and blackberry/cassis liqueur. This is a wine of great intensity, explosive richness, and brutally high tannin. This compelling, majestic Cote Rotie should be at its finest between 2008-2025. Beginning with the 1997 vintage, this firm has made remarkable progress with their Cote Rotie program. The cuvaison lasts twenty days, and Jacques Granges believes in several pigeages (punching down) a day, with pump overs as well. This is a good commercial example. The significant difference in quality between the outstanding 1999 northern Rhone vintage and the above average yet essentially correct 2000 is dramatically evidenced in Delas's wines. The 2000 red offerings reveal charming ripeness, but also the vintage's softness, lightness, and lack of depth. Importer: Maison Marques et Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 286-2000.

The limited cuvee from the Cote Brune, the 1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne (250 cases) is prodigious. Readers lucky enough to track down a bottle or two will own a legend in the making. However, 8-9 years of cellaring are required before this wine rounds into drinkable form. An opaque black/purple color is accompanied by sublime aromas of licorice, espresso, scorched earth, tapenade, bacon fat, and blackberry/cassis liqueur. This is a wine of great intensity, explosive richness, and brutally high tannin. This compelling, majestic Cote Rotie should be at its finest between 2008-2025. Beginning with the 1997 vintage, this firm has made remarkable progress with their Cote Rotie program. The cuvaison lasts twenty days, and Jacques Granges believes in several pigeages (punching down) a day, with pump overs as well.This is a good commercial example. The significant difference in quality between the outstanding 1999 northern Rhone vintage and the above average yet essentially correct 2000 is dramatically evidenced in Delas's wines. The 2000 red offerings reveal charming ripeness, but also the vintage's softness, lightness, and lack of depth.Importer: Maison Marques et Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 286-2000.

Only 6,000 bottles and 300 magnums have been made of this wine, from a parcel in the famed La Landonne vineyard. This is a beautifully crafted wine, with vanilla and polished violet perfumes. To taste, the ripeness of the tannins and the richness of the fruit give both complexity and elegance. It should age for at least 15 years. ——R.V.(6/1/2002)—— 94