WTN: 1988 Michel Ogier Côte-Rôtie

Medium garnet with some orange-red brick on the edge. Smells just like hickory smoked bacon being served for a honeysuckle-covered
terrace brunch in midsummer. I can almost hear the honeybees in the blossoms. Very pleasingly tannic, thyme, raspberries, and a little pepper.

Day 2: Still delicious, less smoke on the nose, more herbs and pepper on the palate.

(Photos at http://wineloverspage.ning.com)

Medium garnet with some orange-red brick on the edge. Smells just like hickory smoked bacon being served for a honeysuckle-covered
terrace brunch in midsummer. I can almost hear the honeybees in the blossoms. Very pleasingly tannic, thyme, raspberries, and a little pepper.

Day 2: Still delicious, less smoke on the nose, more herbs and pepper on the palate.

(Photos at http://wineloverspage.ning.com)

Thanks for those notes, Cynthia, and for the pictures (nice fill on a 19-year-old bottle). I love Ogier's wines, though their Belle Hélène isn't my cup of Syrah. For many years, though, their VdP 'La Rosine' was a phenomenal bargain for N. Rhone Syrah, but alas the world has caught onto that fact, much to my dismay.

Mark Lipton

I have loved this wine each of the handful of times I've tasted it. Of course that has been only in the past 3-5 years, so I don't know what it was like when younger. But I have always marvelled at the feather thin delicate structure (not sure I found it as tannic as you did) and was wondering how long it could continue aging. Larry Stein tells me not to worry, apparently it was that delicate on release and has been floating pleasure ever since..

does anyone know if this was before stephan took over winemaking? i think so; but.....the two styles are entirely different. stephan himself has changed styles since the first few years, too.

David..

I think Stephan took over in '97.

Traci

does anyone know if this was before stephan took over winemaking?

Since Stephane was a pre-teen then, I would imagine so.

And nothing against Stephane, but sad that we may never see wines like this again.