| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Rhône > Northern Rhône > Côte Rotie |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Opaque purple. Explosively perfumed scents of red and dark berries, potpourri and Asian spices, with black pepper and mineral nuances gaining strength with air. Juicy and expansive on the palate, showing intense black raspberry and blueberry flavors and an exotic touch of candied violet. Finishes sweet and very long, with resonating spiciness and florality. This winter I also had the chance to retaste the 2008 and 2007 versions of this bottling: the '08 is a graceful, lively, open-knit wine that's showing intense, still-primary red fruit now, with good depth and finishing cut, while the '07 conveys a darker fruit profile and more tannic grip. At this point it looks like the '08 is the one to drink now, if you're the impatient sort.
Two of the non-compromising traditionalists in Cote Rotie, the brothers Jamet have fashioned a 2009 Cote Rotie filled with pepper, bay leaf, spice box, black raspberry and black olive characteristics. This flavorful, medium to full-bodied red reveals sweet tannin as well as loads of herbs, licorice and spice. Relatively evolved for a Jamet Cote Rotie, it should drink nicely for 10-12 years.
The 2009 Côte Rôtie is a ripe, decadent wine from this estate. Spice, peppery herbs, gamey meats and impressive levels of currants and black raspberries all emerge from the glass, and while it’s full-bodied and powerful on the palate, it shows the elegance, purity and class that’s the hallmark of the domaine. It offers pleasure today, but will be at its best from 2019-2032.
The Côte Rôtie cuvée is made up of 25 parcels (see below) mainly on schist. 85% of these parcels will go into the cuvée and 5% will go into the Côte Brune. No Viognier unless there’s the odd bunch in the vineyard. Mainly whole bunch and is usually the latest to pick - finished on 15 Oct this year, and in 2009 it was 12 Oct - all about better quality of tannin. Uses about 20% new oak, depending on the cuvée, and it's getting less every year - doesn't want oak aromas. Alcohols are mainly under 13% - apparently if you keep the stems they consume some of the sugar, one degree less than if you destem.
Lancement: just below Côte Blonde. No schist, fairly granitic, 23-year-old vines. Quite round and juicy and berry flavoured. With a firmness underneath. Very fruity and attractive though slightly inky underneath. Perhaps 2% of this cuvée.
La Gerine: Schist and whole bunch. More savoury and juicy with tension and finesse. Wants to keep freshness, especially in 2009.
Chavaroche: Very dark crimson. Very dramatic and rich on the nose, lovely polish. Sweet floral at first and then a little polished and salty. Added a little bit of SO2 which has made it slightly drier on the end, but he prefers that to bacterial attack.
Mornachon: Very high site, 320 m. Just a slightly green note on the nose but luscious underneath. Very black fruited but absolutely dry and refrehshing on the end. Brambles, then perfectly dry.
Le Plomb: Very savoury, sappy. Leathery. Light and fresh. Bit of ink, he suggests, and that immediately after vinification he found it a bit showy for his taste. But it comes round.
La Landonne: with Côte Rozier just beneath and La Moutonne. 80% schist and 20% granite. Dark crimson. One of the more muscular and concentrated on the nose. But racy under the liquorice. A little tough on the end, a tiny bit reduced (not nearly as much as Clos de Papes!)
Meaty, succulent and intense on the nose, showing layers of ripe red and black fruits with a real hit of smoked bacon. The tannins are ripe, as would be expected in this warm vintage, but the freshness is the most impressive element to this wine. Silky and precise, it shows a balance between rosemary, white pepper, pink peppercorns and generous blueberries and forest fruit. Delicious now, but there is no rush. (TP)
Drink 2019 – 2035
Possessing more stuffing than the '12 (but maybe not its purity and seamlessness), the 2009 Cote Rotie offers tons of cassis, black raspberry, incense, peppery herbs and violets in a ripe, full-bodied, richly textured style. It shows the warmth of the vintage, yet still has plenty of Cote Rotie flair. Although, those craving the more perfumed, elegant side to Cote Rotie will need to give this another 5-7 years in the cellar as it's showing mostly fruit at the moment.
Far superior is the 2009 Cote Rotie (made with 80% stems), which may be Jamet’s best vintage for Cote Rotie since 1999. Sweet black raspberry, new saddle leather, roasted herb, pepper and meat juice characteristics are present in this broad, savory, medium to full-bodied wine. It should drink well for 12-15+ years.
Sample #1, from Lancement: Spicy red berries and flowers on the nose. Fresh and incisive, with bright raspberry and redcurrant flavors and mounting spiciness. This is the only component that Jamet showed me that wasn't fermented with whole clusters and all of this fruit was destemmed. #2, from Gerine: More pungent and smoky, with intense dark berry and incense aromas. Sweet and fruity on entry, then a firm mineral backbone and a peppery quality. #3, from Chavaroche, with a little Fontgeant: Exotic aromas and flavors of red berries and spices. More floral with air, picking up a sexy note of star anise. #4, from Mornachon: Deeper blackberry and cassis on the nose. Densely packed and powerful, with potent dark berry flavors and notes of woodsmoke and licorice. Serious tannic structure here. #5, from Le Plomb: Highly aromatic, offering rose and violet scents and a strong black raspberry quality. Spicy and precise, with expanding sweetness and very good clarity. #6, from Moutonne, with some Cote Baudin and Leyat: Highly aromatic, with deep dark berry preserve and floral oil qualities. Fresher with air, showing impressive fruit intensity and excellent length. #7, from La Landonne, with bits of Cote Blonde, Cote Rozier and Moutonne: Seductive aromas of black raspberry and potpourri become spicier with aeration. Lively but concentrated red and dark fruit flavors, with a smoky, musky note that builds with air. Very long and powerful. The final blend looks to be a deeply fruity and spicy wine, with solid tannic structure and excellent minerality. There's a lot of dark fruit here, and impressive freshness, but no sensation of excess weight or fat.
