Côte Rôtie, Belle Helene,

(bottled in March of 2004) Full ruby-red. Youthfully closed nose hints at gibier, woodsmoke and oak, with pungent peppery depth. On the palate, this comes across as a sexier version of a young Chave Hermitage, with notes of dark fruits, chocolate, black olive and pepper, and a great slow-building aftertaste. Extremely deep wine that's best today on the explosive finish. As with the two 2003s, the 2001 Lancement is much easier to taste than this cuvee in the early going. This needs a good eight to ten years of additional bottle aging, and may ultimately surpass the Lancement.