2006 Côte-Rôtie La Belle Hélène

Stephane Ogier describes his 2006s as having "the freshness of 2004 but with more density and power. " Although he likes the way the wines are showing now he thinks they will shut down in a couple of years and will then need to be forgotten in the cellar for another five years or so. On the other hand, he believes that the 2004s will always be appealing. As for 2007, Ogier finds the wines "a lot like 2006, and much more fresh and less dense than the 2005s. They're more seamless right now than the '07s but the '07s might turn out to be more complex and intriguing. " Ogier told me that he prefers to harvest viognier early and syrah late. "My favorite white wines are probably rieslings, so I want to make whites that are fine, precise and pure. Besides, finesse is the most important element in good wine, not power. " (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D. C. ) Also recommended: 2007 Viognier de Rosine Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes (86).

"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.)