Winemaker Notes
The assemblage, a key word for Jean-Paul, makes it possible to access the Côte Rôtie of the Domaine Jamet. The variety of terroirs, exposure and the age of the vines are complementary elements that combine their strengths. Produced from twenty parcels and essentially in whole bunches, the wine is subsequently kept in barrels for twenty-two months.
Blend: 100% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A tasting of component barrels for this wine made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage, fresh and peppery. Others, such as Bonnivières and Tartaras, exhibited the rigid, austere tannins that are quite common in 2021. Few barrels had great concentration or generosity of fruit; this is a vintage about structure and minerality rather than concentration or fruit sweetness. I would be inclined to leave this for a substantial amount of time before broaching, around 2031, by which time it should show good complexity and terroir expression, and may well be worthy of a higher score. All whole-bunch fermented, and matured mostly in old demi-muids.
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Vinous
Inky magenta. Highly expressive aromas of red and blue fruits, violet, incense, olive and baking spices, along with a smoky mineral top note. Stains the palate with vibrant, sharply etched black raspberry, blueberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors that slowly deepen and become sweeter with air. Shows very good power but comes off lithe, showing no rough edges on a long, gently tannic finish that leaves behind sappy blue fruit and black pepper notes.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Wine Spectator
A savory, herbaceous and spicy Côte-Rôtie in a somewhat leaner style, yet this boasts a seductive textural purity, with all elements nicely meshed. Liberally dusted in white and black pepper, while a core of red fruit merges with warm soil, olive tapenade, grilled herb, licorice root and coffee bean notes. Firm and finely structured, with good tension through the finish,
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
The cultivation of vines here began with Greek settlers who arrived in 600 BC. Its proximity to Vienne was important then and also when that city became a Roman settlement but its situation, far from the negociants of Tain, led to its decline in more modern history. However the 1990s brought with it a revival fueled by one producer, Marcel Guigal, who believed in the zone’s potential. He, along with the critic, Robert Parker, are said to be responsible for the zone’s later 20th century renaissance.
Where the Rhone River turns, there is a build up of schist rock and a remarkable angle that produces slopes to maximize the rays of the sun. Cote Rotie remains one of the steepest in viticultural France. Its varied slopes have two designations. Some are dedicated as Côte Blonde and others as Côte Brune. Syrahs coming from Côte Blonde are lighter, more floral, and ready for earlier consumption—they can also include up to 20% of the highly scented Viognier. Those from Côte Brune are more sturdy, age-worthy and are typically nearly 100% Syrah. Either way, a Cote Rotie is going to have a particularly haunting and savory perfume, expressing a more feminine side of the northern Rhone.