Component #1, from Lancement: Bright, floral and elegant, with pure blackcurrant and cherry flavors and excellent balance. Component #2 Gerine and Cote Baudin: Bitter cherry, rhubarb, fresh herbs and spices on the nose. More powerful than the Lancement sample, and more earthy and herbal. Component #3, Mornachon: Bright and lively, with an almost Burgundian perfume of red berries, cherry and sweet herbs. Precise, pure and fresh. Component #4, from Chavaroche and Fongeant: Deeper and more wild on the nose, with distinct animal tones. Quite tangy and minerally, with powerful red berry and licorice flavors. Solid tannins here. Component #5, a blend of Rochains, Landonne and Cote Roziers: Pungently aromatic, floral nose. Deep red berry and cherry fruit complicated by violet and white pepper. Finishes sappy and long. Component #6, Les Plantes, Cote Baudin and Bonnivieres: Masculine, assertive aromas of blackberry, dark plum, grilled meat, pepper and espresso. Weighty, rich and tannic. Component #7, Moutonnes, Leyat and Landonne: Intensely floral, spicy and sweet. Round and lush in texture, with sweet, powerful, impressively concentrated cassis flavor. An approximation of the final blend: Ruby-red color. Flamboyant aromas of cassis, violet, lavender, dried rose and honey. Big and rich but round and velvety, offering juicy dark berry flavors and notes of cocoa, roasted coffee and licorice candy. The blend shows little pepper or wild animal character. Explosive on the finish, with repeating floral nuances and silky, fully buffered tannins.

One of the lighter, more superficial wines in the lineup, yet still with plenty of class, the 2004 Cote Rotie offers notes of sweet and sour cherries, pepper, olive and smoky notes in its medium-bodied, elegant and seamless profile. The acidity is high and will be something to watch, but the fruit should hold for another 5-7 years.