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1997 Côte-Rôtie La Belle Hélène

Wine Details
Place of Origin

France

Côte Rôtie

Northern Rhône

Color

Red

Grape/Blend

Syrah/Shiraz

Vintages
2022202020192018201720162015201320122011201020092007200620052004200320012000199919981997
Reviews & Tasting Notes

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Ogier harvested late in '98, getting ripe grapes and ripe stems, according to Stephane Ogier (the fruit here is crushed but not destemmed). As the '98s had little tendency to become reduced, less racking was done. Beginning with the '97 vintage, Ogier has moved his wines into barrel earlier, in some instances finishing the malolactic fermentation in barriques. Ogier's new Belle-Helene bottling, from 50-year-old petit serine vines in Cote Roziers and Cote Brune, gets an extra year of barrel aging (in 100% new oak). The utterly seamless '98 will be among the best five or six wines of the appellation when it is released in 2001. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)

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Ogier brought in his fruit in '97 with potential alcohol between 12% and 12.8%, and virtually no chaptalization was necessary. There was also less alcohol lost during fermentation than he had anticipated, an observation I heard at other addresses as well. Beginning with the '97 vintage, Ogier will offer a special cuvee made from 55-year-old Cote Roziers vines and aged in 100% new barriques Interestingly, Ogier describes his '96 as less tannic than '97 and easier to taste, and predicts that this wine will be for drinking before the '97. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)