2021 Cote Rotie Amethyste

The 2021 Côte-Rôtie Améthyste is fairly reductive at this showing. Time in the glass fleshes out rustic touches, cured meat, white pepper, red plum and black cherry aromatics. Touching the medium-bodied palate with moderate flavor concentration, the elegant 2021 outperforms the 2022. A savory, fleshy finish wraps it up.

The 2021 Côte Rôtie Amethyste comes from a blend of the Côte Brune, Le Mollard, Lancement (since 2019), Le Truchet, and Fongeant, with some younger vintages from Chavaroche. Mostly destemmed, it has a beautiful array of black raspberry fruits as well as some spring flower, pepper, and iron-like nuances. It's medium-bodied, has solid mid-palate depth, and fine tannins, and it's clearly an outstanding wine. Give it just a few years and enjoy over the following 10-12. I always love taste with Agnes Levet at her cellar in heart of Ampuis and these wines are as old school Côte Rôtie as it gets. It’s worth pointing out that the cuvée are named differently in the US and Europe, with the Les Journaries (US) and Maestria (EU), and La Chavaroche (US) and Peroline (EU), being the same wine.

Deep, lurid violet color. High-pitched red and blue fruit, floral and baking spice scents, along with deeper suggestions of olive and dark chocolate. In a bright, nervy style, showing fine clarity and spicy lift to its bitter cherry, blueberry and allspice flavors. Closes long and precise, with the red fruit and floral notes repeating.