As for the negociant northern Rhone selections, the dense purple-hued 2009 Cote Rotie reveals lots of black olive, bacon fat, black raspberry and blackberry fruit notes intertwined with hints of charcoal and underbrush. This impressively endowed, medium to full-bodied Cote Rotie should drink well for 10-15 years. These three negociant bottlings from the talented Louis Barruol are all noteworthy. Barruol’s outstanding talents are obvious in his southern Rhone offerings as well as his estate wines from his Domaine Saint-Cosme, which is situated on the outskirts of the sleepy village of Gigondas. Importer: Vintage ‘59, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-9218