The 2007 Cote Rotie La Belle Helene (aged 100% in new oak) has shut down and while not as sexy at present as the Lancement or regular Cote Rotie, it is built like a skyscraper. With coaxing, notes of graphite, ink, black raspberries and black currants jump from the glass of this full-bodied, rich, heady, layered 2007. It reveals an unusually large amount of tannin and will benefit from 7-8 more years of bottle age. It should drink well for 20-25 years. I fully anticipate that the 2007 will last as long as the 2009. One of France’s most brilliant small artisanal wineries is that of the Ogier family in Ampuis, situated about six blocks north of Guigal’s vast network of underground cellars. The value picks are the wines made from the steep hillsides north of the old Roman settlement of Vienne.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083