2003 Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune

My Cote-Roties are classic in style, with aroma and finesse; they are not wines of density," Barge told me, adding, "I like wines that evolve, giving different character at different stages."This estate, which was started in 1860 and began bottling their own wines in 1929, continues to be a reliable source of traditional, understated Cote-Rotie that is fragrant and medium-bodied, and always emphasizes elegance over power.Those averse to excessive oakiness in their Rhone wines will agree with Barge's assertion that "new wood is so strong that it doesn't make any difference where the grapes came from.I use about 0% to 2% new wood."

The Barges normally harvest their vines in Cote-Rotie on the early side, before the acids go down, and thus 2003 was an unusual vintage in that the family did not need to chaptalize at all. The Barges did a relatively short 15-day cuvaison in 2003, as the juice quickly took on color and power. Jean-Michel Barge told me that the family lightly acidified the must, for the first time. These traditionally made wines are done in demi-muids and foudres, with only about 3% new oak used. The family purchased a destemmer in 2002, and has destemmed the fruit every year since then. Jean-Michel told me that his older brother Gilles was against the idea of a destemmer at the start but now likes the result. For his part, Jean-Michel feels that some vintages might be better off with the stems left in. (World Shippers, Philadelphia, PA) Also tasted: 2002 Cote-Rotie Cuvee du Plessy*.