Winemaker Notes
Youthful, vibrant, and powerful, there is great aging potential here. Initial soft floral notes reminiscent of fresh lilac give way to rich, smoky aromas. On the palate, hedonistic notes of brambleberry, cacao nib, and cherry are underpinned by Syrah's classic, freshly ground black pepper note and balanced, well-integrated tannins that offer a touch of toast and vanilla. There is a lasting, persistent minerality that lends further complexity to a memorable wine's satisfying finish.
Blend: 100% Syrah
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Marked by scents of red raspberries and black cherries, Bonnefond's complex, full-bodied 2019 Cote Rotie Cote Rozier is a ripe, creamy-textured wine with ample weight and richness on the palate. Matured in 30% new 400-liter barrels, it's concentrated yet supple and finishes long and silky, with soft tannins.
-
James Suckling
Nice black-pepper and leather notes alongside the fresh black-plum character. A well-structured and rather elegant Cote-Rotie that is still rather young, the impressive tannins at the generous finish needing a bit of time to mellow. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.
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.