Inky ruby. Deep, pungent aromas of blackberry, blueberry, olive, tobacco and dried violet. This is yin to the Lancement's yang-or Bonnes-Mares to Lancement's Musigny, as Ogier would have it. Rich, fleshy and deep in dark fruit flavor, with late-arriving notes of smoked meat and licorice. More powerful and intense than the Lancement but I have a preference for that wine's elegance and precision right now. I'd love to compare these two wines a decade down the road.

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The 2007 Cote Rotie La Belle Helene (aged 100% in new oak) has shut down and while not as sexy at present as the Lancement or regular Cote Rotie, it is built like a skyscraper. With coaxing, notes of graphite, ink, black raspberries and black currants jump from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, heady, layered 2007. It reveals an unusually large amount of tannin and will benefit from 7-8 more years of bottle age. It should drink well for 20-25 years. I fully anticipate that the 2007 will last as long as the 2009.

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