The 2011 Cote Rotie Bassenon is a major success in the vintage. Classy and perfumed, with the hallmark Cote Rotie bouquet of juicy berry fruit, spring flowers, bacon fat and hints of leather, this medium to full-bodied, supple, pure and finesse-oriented effort can be consumed anytime over the coming decade. Yves releases two cuvees from Cornas, and I found the quality consistent in 2012, yet preferred the Vires release by a fair margin in 2011. There are three Saint Joseph cuvees in red: the Les Pierres Seches, which comes from sand and granite soils around the town of Chavanay; the L'Amarybelle, which comes from high density, terraced plantings of older vines; and lastly, the Les Serines, which comes from the oldest vines of the estate and is the only cuvee to see new oak. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant Ltd., Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990