The Cote-Rôtie. Up there in the stars.

Surely the most fashionable name of the moment for quite some time. Here, the quest for excellence is at its peak.

Once again, the tasting of the Côte-Rôtie wines has highlighted the virtues of ageing, which allow the tannins to be refined and softened, without detracting from the wine’s ageing capacity. It is true that the wines often require a little extra cellaring to melt their aromatic notes linked to the oak, but the patient wine lover will be rewarded. Among the vintages submitted to our judgement, 2018 is very pleasant from today, the 2017s are also of a high level but one needed to know how to raise them, the 2016s taste a tone below even if, as always, one can find some nice surprises, and the 2015s confirm all their birth dispositions. The style of the appellation often makes the wines likeable when young, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hold up well over time. Many producers practice a plot-based approach, which gives a better understanding of success in different areas. Others have all their vines located in the same sector. Finally, the blending of numerous sectors is also practiced with talent.

20/20

E. Guigal, La Landonne 2015