The Cote Rotie Bassenon, which incorporated 10% Viognier and spent 18 months in 50% new oak, offers a perfumed, pure and lively feel, with notions of flowers, violets, plum and blackberry-styled fruit. Medium to full-bodied, with fine tannin that emerges on the finish, it-s a promising barrel sample. I suspect it will benefit from short term cellaring and have 12-15 years of longevity. 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