The 1996 Fonsalette Cotes du Rhone boasts a dense ruby/purple color, as well as a chocolatey, blackberry, super-concentrated palate impression, and considerable body. This wine is atypically massive for this vintage. Muscular and structured, with huge fruit and richness, it was made from fully ripened fruit and an extremely late harvest. While it has softened in the bottle, this offering is still dominated by its truffle and blackberry jam aspects. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2018. Importers: Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800 and Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173