1999 Cote Rotie La Voniere

The 1999 Cote Rotie La Voniere Cuvee Speciale contains 15% Viognier (the maximum allowed by law is 20%), and will be aged for two years in new oak casks prior to bottling. I counted 31 casks in the cellar, or approximately 750 cases of wine. The wine exhibits a dense saturated ruby/purple color as well as extremely ripe fruit. It is full-bodied, with notes of black raspberries intertwined with honeysuckle and toast. Explosive on the palate, with outstanding richness, admirable glycerin, low acidity, and high alcohol, this wine should be gorgeous to drink young, yet age well for 12-15 years. Domaine de Vallouit's importer situation has been unstable for several years. At the time of writing, the wines were imported by Baron Francois, New York, NY.