2005 Côte-Rôtie La Belle Hélène

"The 2006s remind me of Burgundy," said Stephane Ogier. "I love their freshness of fruit, while 2005 is big and serious, for cellaring." Ogier kept his 2005s in barrel for 24 months instead of his usual 18 because, he said, the tannins needed some more softening and the material was there to handle it. "It was a year where I had to work very hard to maintain finesse. If you weren't careful you could get wines with roasted character," he explained. As for other recent vintages, Ogier noted that he loves the complexity of 2004. "That's a vintage I'd like to make every year. It reminds me of 2000, with strong pinot character. After about ten years you'll confuse it for something from the Cote de Nuits." His take on the 2003s is that "they are full of ripe fruit but one glass is enough. You need lots of friends to finish a bottle." As of 2007 Ogier will be making a Condrieu, having purchased a parcel of 15-year-old vines in Malleval. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)

Stephane Ogier compares his 2004s to 2000, noting that 2004 is "a giving vintage where you can see the elegant, almost pinot character of Cote-Rotie. "(Here is another Cote-Rotie producer with a soft spot for great Burgundy, based on the collection of highly desirable Cote d'Or empties he is amassing in his new tasting room. )"Two thousand five, on the other hand, must be held and allowed time to evolve," he adds. "The concentration demands it. "Ogier is especially excited about his newest wine, L'Ame Soeur, which is made from vines in Seyssuel and planted on schist. Based on my tasting of the 2005 and 2004, this energetic, mineral-driven wine offers impressive suavity and restraint. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D. C. )