The 2010 Cote Rotie Classique (100% Syrah aged 18 months in small oak barrels) does not possess the power and intensity of the 2009, but it is beautifully made, with terrific elegance, lots of red and black fruit notes intermixed with licorice, forest floor, bouquet garni and spice box, medium to full body, good acidity and sweet tannin. It should drink well for 12-15+ years. (Not yet released)Ogier's wines just keep getting better and better, so if you haven-t yet jumped on the Ogier bandwagon, it's time to do so. Michel Ogier, and more recently his son, Stephane, are the leading craftsmen in terms of wines from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman town of Vienne. These are still entitled to only a VDP designation, but current vintages are the finest he has yet produced.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Not surprisingly, the 2009s are softer, more front end-loaded wines. The 2009 Cote Rotie Classique saw about 60-70% new oak casks in this concentrated vintage. It reveals a dense purple color along with a beautiful bouquet of frying lard and bacon, blackberries, raspberries, forest floor and spring flowers. The sweetness of the tannin, the wine's opulent, fleshy mouthfeel and long, layered finish make for a sumptuous Cote Rotie to drink over the next 10-15 years. Ogier's wines just keep getting better and better, so if you haven-t yet jumped on the Ogier bandwagon, it's time to do so. Michel Ogier, and more recently his son, Stephane, are the leading craftsmen in terms of wines from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman town of Vienne. These are still entitled to only a VDP designation, but current vintages are the finest he has yet produced.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

Only one Cote Rotie was produced in 2008. The 2008 Cote Rotie, which represents one-third of the estate’s normal production, was 100% destemmed and given a light maceration to try and produce an elegant wine (a goal they successfully achieved). Notes of sweet black cherries, raspberries, currants, spice box, roasted herbs and loamy soil result in an endearing, elegant, easy to drink red that should be consumed over the next several years. One of France’s most brilliant small artisanal wineries is that of the Ogier family in Ampuis, situated about six blocks north of Guigal’s vast network of underground cellars. The value picks are the wines made from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman settlement of Vienne.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083