Bright red. Liqueur-like aroma of red berries, smoke, herbs and leather. Juicy and firm for the year; complex flavors of red fruits, pepper and leather. This solidly structured Cotes du Rhone actually needs a year or so of additional bottle aging. (In comparison, Reynaud's Cotes du Rhone La Pialade, with its delightfully sweet aromas of red berries and brown spices, and its lighter tannins, is a better bet for drinking now.)

It appears the 1997 Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone red will be open-knit and attractive. All the cuvees taste in the 86-89 point range. The wine is medium ruby-colored, with cherry and raspberry fruit, a degree of elegance, and a richly fruity, round, generous style that should be pleasing. Importers: Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800 and Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

Wine Advocate February, 1999 It appears the 1997 Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone red will be open-knit and attractive. All the cuvees taste in the 86-89 point range. The wine is medium ruby-colored, with cherry and raspberry fruit, a degree of elegance, and a richly fruity, round, generous style that should be pleasing.