Made from a blend of 55% Syrah, 40% Grenache, and 5% Mourvedre, the delicious, deep ruby/purple-colored 1999 Cotes du Rhone offers abundant fruit, some tannin, a high acid profile, medium body, and excellent purity. Production of this cuvee is gigantic, with speculation that there are close to a half million cases made. Remarkably, Guigal maintains an exceptionally high level of quality as well as consistency from bottle to bottle, despite the fact that there are generally five to six separate bottlings. Importer: Fred Ek and Patrick Will, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153

A blend of 60% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 5% Mourvedre gives a jammy, structured wine with dusty, perfumed, warm tannins and welcoming ripe fruits. Like all negociant Cotes du Rhones, this is ready to drink now, but could age over the next five years. ——R.V.(6/1/2002)—— 88