Cote Rotie Binardes, Domaine Jean-Michel Stephan 2018

Youthful purple. Ripe black and blue fruit and floral qualities on the nose, along with building spice, earth and olive notes. A hint of gaminess emerges with air and carries onto the palate, which offers sweet, concentrated blackberry, cherry and violet pastille flavors. Finishes very long and smoky, with steadily building tannins and a lingering suggestion of cured meat. There's 15% alcohol here, by the way, which is on the high side for this domaine.

Deep ruby in colour, the 2018 Binardes is a voluptuous style of Côte-Rôtie for a producer with J-M Stephan's philosophy. Ripe with brambly fruit on the nose, there are layers of fleshy cherry, blackberry and plum together with a hint of pink peppercorn. Silky and seductive on the palate, this is a rounded, plush, chocolatey Syrah that can be enjoyed now. The tannins have foled into the fruit, letting the plump summer pudding tones flow through with hints of liquorice, black pepper and bacon fat. Long and fruit-driven on the finish, this is a wine to enjoy now.