1998 Condrieu La Loye

Gerin, whose technique is constantly evolving, now works with a score or more different combinations of oak source (including wood from Lithuania and Russia), cooper and barrel char. Still, he says, the assembled wines from multiple components almost invariably are far more successful than any single barrel. The 1998 vintage, according to Gerin, offers a good compromise between the acidity of '96 and the alcohol of '97; indeed, these wines offer a felicitous combination of concentration, backbone and freshness. Gerin bottled his '97s in September, because he likes the way the second summer in oak rounds the wines. These extremely rich, low-acid Cote-Roties "are ready to drink right now with a sausage sandwich," says Gerin.