Cote-Rotie So `Brune Jean-Michel Stephan

600 bottles produced - quite a dark red; the nose shows lardon, bacon chunks, sweetness, has definite drive, is promising, wide, together, has a smoky linger. The palate starts with bright early fruit, is fluid in delivery, gathers tannic depth towards the finish, is well marshalled there, the length good. This has good structure, will develop well, the balance correct; I like its cool depth. It just hits ****(*) John Livingstone-Learmonth