Domaine Sainte-Anne Cotes du Rhone, 2001

This has to be my favorite vintage of Domaine Sainte-Anne. Deep and dark with lovely scents of berries and peppery spice. Some floral notes. More pepper and less ripeness than the 1998 or 2000. More fully developed than the 2004 or 2005. Plenty of skin tannins but ripe and accessible. This is worthy of at least CDR Villages status and probably better than most Gigondas.