98 Andre Francois, Cote-Rotie

Without the carnal smokiness you'd usually expect from Cote-Rotie, the 98 Francois is a beautiful, flirtatious syrah ripe with the requisite sweet raspberry and white pepper taste of the Rhone. It's lighter-styled than most, though it wafts with a romantic bouquet of violets--more of what you'd expect from the youthful Crozes-Hermitage than this the Rhone's spiciest, fullest appelation.