One of the most reliable wines in the portfolio is always the Cotes du Rhone in this case the 2004 Guy Louis, an equal part blend of Syrah and Grenache (the Syrah is aged in new oak and the Grenache in old). The wine has a deep purple color and a big, sweet nose of blackberries and cherries intermixed with some smoke, herbs, and earth. It is medium-bodied, ripe, and generous. It should drink well for 5-6 years. Importers: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808 and Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 998-0029

Not a wine for the oak-averse, as it’s slathered with cinnamon, vanilla and other baking spices from aging in special barriques. Exotic, but built on a solid foundation of cherry fruit. Drink now–2010. ——J.C.(11/15/2006)—— 87