For drinking today, it doesn't get better than the 1999 Cote Rotie la Landonne (the '99 la Mouline maybe). A monumental Cote Rotie, it offers an incredible perfume of cassis, licorice, smoked game and roasted herbs (among other things), full-bodied richness, a seamless texture and a finish that just won't quit. While a massive wine, with incredible concentration and density, this beauty is lively, elegant and weightless, with sweet, polished tannin. Perfumed and upfront on this occasion, it was served blind at the end of the retrospective and I actually thought it was the 1990.

I have given perfect scores to other vintages of La Landonne, but the black/purple-colored 1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne may be the finest effort Guigal has ever coaxed out of this vineyard. It appears less animalistic than usual, offering gorgeously pure notes of incense, melted road tar, fried bacon, blackberries, blueberries, smoked meats, and vanilla. Literally out of this world in terms of flavor concentration and balance, the finish lasts well over 60 seconds. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030.What is so remarkable about this cuvee is its tremendous layers of flavor, awesome texture, and perfect balance. This is an astonishing offering from one of the world’s greatest winemakers.Importer: Fred Ek, Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Solvang, CA; tel. (805) 686-9153

Dark and still a touch tight, with a wall of bacony, mesquite-tinged toast holding the core of blackberry and fig fruit at bay. Lush, exotic fruit pushes through on the finish, with notes of musk, aged tobacco, roasted vanilla and hoisin sauce. The dark, toasty finish still needs more time to unwind fully. There's no Viognier, and, except for the 2002 vintage, this is never destemmed.--1999 Cote-Rotie non-blind retrospective. Best from 2010 through 2025. 830 cases made. -JM