Winemaker Notes
Dark in color with a mineral and smoky nose of dark fruits, black olive and pepper all enhanced by a floral component brought by the Viognier. This is a highly aromatic and elegant wine.
Blend: 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
More fresh and herbal than most 2019 Côte-Rôties, showing black olive and bay leaf. Fresh, only medium-bodied, it almost feels as if this was made in a cooler vintage. Vibrant, keen, with quite angular acidity and chiselled tannins. No evident oak, more about the whole bunch. This might be too lean for some, but traditionalists will love its bristling tannins and savoury finish. Lieux-dits Semon, Lancement and Maison Rouge, fermented in stainless steel with a small proportion of whole bunch, aged in barrels and Stockinger foudres.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of grapes from Bassenon, Maison Rouge and Lancement, the 2019 Cote Rotie Blonde du Seigneur contains about 5% Viognier. Notes of violets and purple raspberries appear on the nose, joined by peppery spice and hints of licorice, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, silky and deep, with a long, mouthwatering finish that echoes of cherries and raspberries.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Côte Rôtie Blonde Du Seigneur comes all from the southern end of the appellation (Tupin and Lancement) and saw 18 months in barrel. It saw roughly 10% stems and 5% Viognier. It’s a beautiful, feminine, seamless Côte Rôtie offering classic red and black fruits, a kiss of minerality, and subtle woodsmoke on the nose. Medium-bodied, balanced, and elegant, I’d happily drink bottles any time over the coming 10-12 years.
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.