The debut vintage for La Landonne, this formidably endowed, inky-colored monster is just beginning to open up and reveal its personality. As with La Mouline, there is an ounce of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The color is a thick purple/black/garnet. The nose reveals a smoked meat, grilled steak, earthy, truffle, black-fruit character intermixed with mineral notes. Extremely powerful, rich, slightly tannic flavors have enormous volume in the mouth. The wine still displays a rustic side to its tannin, but there is no doubting the excessively concentrated, prodigious amount of fruit, extract, glycerin, and character possessed by this wine. Anticipated maturity: 1998-2020. Last tasted 5/96.

The first vintage of this cru shows its character but -- in this bottle, anyway -- not quite the class to come. Rich prune and coffee flavors are thick and sweet and very tannic. Drink now or try in 1997.--Guigal Cote-Rotie vertical. -TM