2015 Cote Rotie La Vialliere

Lurid violet. Highly expressive aromas of black raspberry and boysenberry, smoky minerals, candied licorice and olive carry exotic spice and mineral overtones. Densely packed and energetic on the palate, displaying silky texture and superb clarity to the candied black and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors. Seamless and alluringly sweet on the strikingly persistent finish, which features a lively mineral quality that adds vivacity and precision.

The 2015 Cote Rotie Vialliere combines haunting aromas and flavors of intense, super ripe cassis and plum with firm tannins and a dry, astringent finish. In the end, the fruit should prevail, but give this medium to full-bodied wine awhile in the cellar to round into form.

Opaque ruby. Expansive aromas of ripe blueberry, blackberry, incense and candied flowers are sharpened by cracked pepper and mineral flourishes. Sweet, seamless and concentrated in style, offering intense dark fruit liqueur and spicecake flavors and suggestions of licorice and olive that build with air. Lush and broad, in the style of the vintage, but there's very good structure here as well. Sneaky tannins shape the plush dark fruit on the extremely long, juicy finish.