2020 Domaine Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie La Belle Helene

Crafted from vines planted on Côte Rozier, a pure schist and mica-schists terroir, the 2020 Cote Rotie La Belle Helene emerges as a breathtaking contender for the vintage’s top wine. Offering up a charming, delicate, complex bouquet of iris, violets, dark berries, dark cherries and rose petals, complemented by subtle black truffle accents, it's full-bodied, layered and seamless, with a multidimensional core of fruit and filigreed, fine-grained tannins. It is supported by bright acids and superb dry extracts, giving it a vertical, ethereal finish. La Belle Helene is a cuvée that historically benefits from patience, representing one of the finest contemporary expressions of Côte-Rôtie I have encountered, and it stands on the brink of achieving a perfect score in the coming years.

Coming from three different sectors in the Côte Rozier lieu-dit, the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Belle Hélène is all about elegance and finesse, with gorgeous cassis and darker fruits supported by wildflowers, violets, rose petals, and subtle truffly earth and iron. It's full-bodied, incredibly layered, and concentrated, with flawless balance as well as ultra-fine tannins. This cuvée normally demands cellaring, but there’s a purity and seamlessness that makes it almost impossible to resist today. Nevertheless, do your best to hide bottles for at least 4-5 years. It will cruise in cold cellars over the following two decades.

The 2020 Côte-Rôtie La Belle Hélène is towering. Expressive ripe black fruits mingle with graphite, crushed violets, tobacco, cured meat, earth and melted licorice. Minty gradations add freshness and complexity. Offering a truly vertical sensation, the 2020 envelops the palate in a symphony of precisely sculpted flavors, refreshing acidity and neatly integrated oak. Full-bodied and utterly captivating, the 2020 La Belle Hélène cruises at a very high altitude.