Domaine Sainte Anne Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvee Notre Dame des Cellettes, 1998

The worst thing I can say about this 14-year-old Cotes du Rhone Villages is that it hasn't changed all that much since the first bottle I tasted more than a decade ago. The color is still a deep crimson. The aromas and flavors are classic Sainte Anne: blueberries and cream, cherries, lavender and spice. Long, ripe finish. Some might consider this wine a bit sweet on the finish, but that's simply because it's so loaded with fruit. Notre Dame des Celllettes comes from a single vineyard, 30- to 50-year-old vines, 60% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Mourvedre. It's made with reductive winemaking--stainless steel and concrete vats, no oak.