The 1999 Cote Rotie Les Becasses is the finest Cote Rotie Chapoutier has made at this price level in many years. It offers a classic nose of cassis, smoke, espresso, and tapenade. This wine is voluptuous as well as elegant. It is a spicy, rich, and medium to full-bodied wine. It should drink well for 12-15 years. Importer: Paterno Imports, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-89000

You couldn’t mistake this Cote-Rotie for anything else: Floral-herb aromas are bolstered by smoky green tobacco, white-pepper and cranberry. It’s ultrastructured, with a strong iron-mineral core that needs at least two, but as many as 10, years of cellaring to soften. Tart red-berry, even animal, flavors cushion the steely core flavors and round out the finish.——W.E.(11/1/2001)—— 94