2017 - Cote Rotie, Jamet

Inky, bright-rimmed ruby. Sexy, mineral-accented aromas of ripe black and blue fruits, candied flowers, olive paste and exotic spices show outstanding clarity and lift. Sweet, pliant and energetic on the palate, offering deeply concentrated raspberry, cherry, cassis and floral pastille flavors that show surprising energy for their heft. A smoky mineral nuance drives the extremely long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind a sexy floral note. All whole clusters.

The 2017 Cote Rotie was still in separate lots when I visited, yet I came away with remarkably similar impressions from the Gerine (fragrant charming and silky) and le Plomb (taut, intense and structural) as I did last year. A number of other lots will go into the final assemblage (Chavaroche, Fongeant, Lezardes and several more, probably including La Landonne). There's more cracked pepper and violets on the nose of the 2017 than the 2018 and also a touch more crispness and tension on the palate.

A nose that screams Jamet – edgy herbal tones from whole-bunch fermentation mingle with peppercorn, smoked bacon and pure, vibrant blueberry fruit. There’s a hint of balsamic to the fruit on the palate – intense yet lifted and floral. Bright, with chalky tannins cloaked in pure red and blue fruit, there is just a hint of olive tapenade on the back end. Delicious. (TP)