Rouget's 1997 Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux is an awesome wine. Medium to dark ruby-colored, it exhibits superb aromas of spices, hints of oak, and powerful, fresh red fruit scents. Extremely well-balanced, this medium to full-bodied offering is thick, broad, and well-extracted. Moreover, it exhibits a flavor profile loaded with chocolate-covered cherries, red fruit syrups, and copious quantities of vanilla-infused oak that linger through its impressively long finish. This is a wine that combines power with elegance. It will deliver pleasure early, yet evolve magnificently with cellaring. Projected maturity: 2000-2008. Importer: Martine's Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800.