2020 Stephane Ogier Cote-Rotie Belle Helene (Pre-arrival)

“Crafted from vines planted on Côte Rozier, a pure schist and mica-schists terroir, the 2020 Cote Rotie La Belle Helene emerges as a breathtaking contender for the vintage’s top wine. Offering up a charming, delicate, complex bouquet of iris, violets, dark berries, dark cherries and rose petals, complemented by subtle black truffle accents, it’s full-bodied, layered and seamless, with a multidimensional core of fruit and filigreed, fine-grained tannins. It is supported by bright acids and superb dry extracts, giving it a vertical, ethereal finish. La Belle Helene is a cuvée that historically benefits from patience, representing one of the finest contemporary expressions of Côte-Rôtie I have encountered, and it stands on the brink of achieving a perfect score in the coming years.”