Ogier La Belle Helene Cote Rotie 1999 750mL (Nicked Label)

"The finest Cote Roties Ogier has made (and he agrees) are the 1999s. The perfect 1999 Cote Rozier Cuvee Belle Helene is a seamless, majestic classic with the kind of concentration found only in Guigal's top cuvees. It boasts gorgeously sweet tannin, enormous levels of both extract and concentration, and is not only a tour de force in winemaking, but a huge Cote Rotie Syrah fruit bomb with massive glycerin, layers of extract, and plenty of toasty new oak, which is marvelously integrated given the fact that it spent 30 months in 100% new wood barrels prior to being bottled without filtration. This outstanding effort requires 5-6 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. Bravo! Michel Ogier and his son, Stephane, are producing spectacular wines. The only problem is that production is small. As I indicated last year, Ogier's 1999s are magical." - Wine Advocate, RP100, tasted 4/2002