-
98
/ 100
Decanter -
98
/ 100
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Red
Classification
Shiraz
Variety
2016
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Rhone Valley, Cote Rotie
Region
14.0%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
98 / 100"Outer quote mark No destemming here, aged in mostly old demi-muids with no more than 10% new oak. A captivatingly pretty floral fragrance can be coaxed out along with aniseed and blackberry notes, but it's tightly wound for now. The rounded palate is dense, with good concentration of red fruit and delightfully perfumed juniper. Soft tannins coat the mouth, and oak is present but well judged. There's good balancing acidity and a lovely, gently mineral seam leads onto a long, saline, savoury, piercing finish. Real detail and precision. (MW) Inner quote mark (10/2017)"
- Decanter
98 / 100
"Outer quote mark The 2016 Côte Rôtie La Côte Blonde (from the lieu-dit of the same name—not a blend of sites) is a terrific effort. It blends the structure of la Viallière with the elegance of la Landonne, making it a truly complete and compelling bottle. Some mocha, black olive and meaty notes lend it a savory cast, while the palate is creamy and concentrated, firm but silky. It's medium to full-bodied, with a fine, licorice-tinged finish that lingers a good long time. It should drink well for 20+ years. When I arrived at the domaine, I went in an opened door and came upon René Rostaing, who was putting labels on bottles for shipment to the United States. I told him I had an appointment and he said, "Let me get the boss." We went across the street to the winery building, where he handed me off to his son Pierre, who is fully in charge of the winemaking now. He cranked the ventilation fan up to high so we could taste in the cellars, despite ongoing fermentations above. Following up on his exciting 2015s, both the 2016s and 2017s look similarly outstanding. He's releasing two additional single-vineyard wines (Côte Brune and La Viallière) from the 2016 vintage as an homage to his ancestors, with label designs from the past (Gentaz-Dervieux and Dervieux-Thaize). Of course, quantities are tiny, but not only are the labels retro-cool but the wines are damn good also. (JC) Inner quote mark (10/2018)"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
96 points Jeb Dunnuck
Outer quote mark Lastly, the 2016 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde is more seamless and elegant, with a more perfumed, pretty style in its red and black raspberry fruits, crushed flowers, game, violets, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, ethereal, seamless, and incredibly polished, it has building tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. Where the La Landonne is all meat and smoke, this is floral and red fruit-driven. Hide bottles for 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 15-20. Inner quote mark
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity