1997 Cote Rotie

Quite the contrast to the Guigal Ampuis, the 1997 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie shows a much brighter, higher acid profile and also a much more earthy and barnyard driven personality.. The nose is big and piercing with rampant barnyard, horse, leather and earthy notes but with air, the fruit really comes out and this picks up a coffee grind and mineral aromas. Really complex and interesting, this changed a lot over the evening. The palate is medium bodied with noticeable acidity, a streamlined personality and plenty of tannins on the finish. I'm not sure this has enough fruit but it did show the best later in the evening and has complex, rich aromatics so who knows.