A wine of great intensity and lushness with no hard edges is the dark ruby/purple coloured 2001 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde. Sweet aromas of caramel, honeysuckle, black cherry liqueur, raspberries, currants, and subtle notes of toasty oak are followed by a plump, well textured, opulent finish. I adore this cuvee of Cote Rotie, and it's a shame more is not produced. Anticipated maturity: now-2014.

Good deep red-ruby. Explosive, wonderfully sweet aromas of red berries, bacon fat and woodsmoke. Fatter, sweeter and more opulent than the Landonne, but at the same time finer-grained and even more intensely flavored. Today this comes across as less peppery and more fruit-driven. Very rich and very long on the end. Give this three or four years of additional cellaring.

Fascinating nose that is both powerful and packed with sweet red fruits. The palate is really well judged, drinking beautifully – secondary leafy notes abound and work really well alongside the juicy and chewy fruit. A vibrant red-fruit note shines through on the finish. The acidity refreshes and revitalises – very good. (AC)