2017 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde

Stéphane Ogier's 2017 Cote Rotie La Cote Blonde takes the quality at this estate to exquisite heights. As I previously projected from barrel and tank, it's a tremendous effort from vines planted in 2010 and adjacent to Guigal's La Mouline parcel. Soaring aromas of peppery florals, licorice and purple raspberries make a huge impression on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is dense and ripe without being heavy. It is layered with velvety tannins and glycerol richness. The long, long finish adds hints of grilled beef, brown sugar and dried spices and brings a second wave of fruit and refreshing star anise notes alongside a coating of dusty tannins.

Reminding me of a great vintage of Guigal's Côte Rôtie La Mouline with its exotic, floral character, the 2017 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde is an incredible achievement as well as a perfect wine. Coming from vines in the middle portion of the Côte Blonde lieu-dit, it was all destemmed and co-fermented with 5% Viognier, and aged 18 months in 30% new French oak. Offering a deep, profound bouquet of black raspberries, spring flowers, camphor, bacon fat, Asian spices, and God knows what else, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimension texture, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish. With an incredible mix of sexy, opulent fruit and a weightless, elegant texture, it's a magical wine that's already impossible to resist yet will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20-25 years or more. Bravo! Unquestionably, one of the most exciting domaines in the world of wine today is that of superstar winemaker Stephane Ogier, who continues to purchase and plant new vineyards throughout Côte Rôtie and the Northern Rhône. I was blown away by his 2017s, and his Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde is unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, as well as one of the greatest Côte Rôties I’ve had the opportunity to taste. While it’s still in barrel, the Côte Rôtie Belle Helene is another wine with perfection written all over it. In general, his 2017s shows ripe, expressive aromatics and tons of fruit, yet they have a firm, structured vibe on the palate and need bottle age. The 2018s, which are from a vintage compared to 1991 by Stéphane, show a slightly more rounded, seamless profile with silkier tannins. These wines shine for their purity of fruit as well as balance. While the expensive releases get all the attention, don’t miss the La Rosine, L’Ame Soeur, Saint Joseph, or Côte Rôtie Mon Village from this estate. These are terrific wines that offer loads of character and represent smoking values for the true wine lovers and wine drinkers out there.

The nose has very attractive spices and a wealth of pepper and purple berries. There’s a very elegant feel to the palate with such fine and layered tannins that are cloaked in flavorsome, pepper-dusted, rich and ripe blackberries, dark plums and dark cherries. Such finesse and also density here. Really something special. Drink over the next 15 years.