Seemed richer and less fresh to me than the latest bottles, I have tasted, but still, there is no reason for this wine to be controversial - it's brilliant. Very typical neuf with all the fixers, olives, garrigue, and a deep red fruit. Maybe it displays a slight bit of heat from the vintage, but still the wine is very much in balance. Peter guessed this off hand. Dinner at Peter & Susanne's, NY.

Wonderful wine, and it tricked me. I was sure of Cornas, what with the iron and blood going on here, but it turned out to be this rustic and old fashioned version of Hermitage. A splendid, very masculine wine with a touch backbone, and still years to go. Very typical of northern Rhône, but far from your modern day hermitage-wine. Dinner at Peter & Susanne's. NY.

The points are for authenticity, mainly, this is one rustic showing from this appellation, that we like to praise for it connection to Burgundy, not here, I guessed Cornas, masculinity, mineral, notes of iodine and loads of locale. Traditional producer, I'll say.

Coffee. This is the singular note, that I am left with.This was served, I think, to convince me of the virtues of the producers, but frankly it did not. It seemed quite monolitic and hard, somewhat extracted, and to rich. albeit, it was in rough company on a night with so many good wines. Also, of course, the vintage is not easy.

Quite elegant Northern Rhone white with surprising freshness, though also marked by exotic fruits. My wife guessed young Condrieu, which goes to show ... impressive wine, growing in the glass.

Quite rich, marked by the vintage, somewhat lacking cut and that steely Chablis minerality; smooth operator,and a good one at that, loads of ripe fruit, easy to drink and quite broad.