| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Rhône > Northern Rhône > Côte Rotie |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A wine that’s going to push the upper limits of my scale, the 2018 Côte Rôtie Côte Brune is the most structured, brooding, yet massive example of this cuvée I can remember tasting. Inky colored with an inward array of black fruits, scorched earth, olives, smoked game, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with tons of fruit, full-bodied richness, and building tannins. It’s a magical wine in the making, but it’s going to take a decade of cellaring to show it.
Year after year, this is one of the top wines in the appellation. Jamet's 2018 Cote Rotie Cote Brune combines intense violet notes with mixed berries in a full-bodied wine that boasts incredible concentration yet never seems overly rich or heavy. Briny, fresh, silky and long, it's another tour de force from the talented Jamet family.
Perhaps down to the old vines, the Brune manages an aromatic freshness and complexity that the standard Rôtie and Landonne can’t quite reach. Layers of green and black olive, woody dried herbs and smoked bacon all come through. The vintage still shows in the darker, riper fruit tones of the palate and a slightly warming alcohol, but this manages layers of deeply savoury game and spice notes that are the signature here. Improving all the time with air, this should turn out to be a brilliant wine for those with patience. (TP)
Drink 2025 – 2050
