Georges Vernay Cote-Rotie Maison Rouge 2017
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator - Vinous
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark fruits, oriental spices, smoked, licorice, cigar box, chocolate, dark pepper... From old Syrah vineyards on the place called Maison Rouge, it has an inimitable class! Structured, perfectly balanced, it is as sensual and voluptuous, as it is spicy and mesmerizing. The tannins are affirmed, but the mastery of its vinification an exceptionally silky and velvety mouthfeel.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship Côte Rôtie, the 2017 Côte Rôtie Maison Rouge comes from a lieu-dit in the southern part of the appellation, and this terroir always yields a more finesse-driven, elegant style of wine. Gorgeous black raspberry, spring flowers, bay leaf, sandalwood, and exotic spice notes characterize this rich, full-bodied, beautifully textured Côte Rôtie. With sweet yet present tannins, an expansive mouthfeel, and integrated oak, this stunning, young, unevolved 2017 will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more.
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Wine Spectator
Lively, with lots of savory and iron streaks amidst the steeped cherry and plum fruit, ending with a flurry of mouthwatering mineral notes on the finish. Sleek and piercing in feel. Best from 2021 through 2036.
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Vinous
Shimmering purple. A strongly scented bouquet evokes ripe red and blue fruits, pungent wisteria, licorice and exotic spices, along with a smoky mineral quality and a hint of black pepper. Broad and fleshy but lively on the palate, offering concentrated Chambord, cherry, cassis and fruitcake flavors that are enlivened by building spice and floral accents. Smooth, steadily building tannins add shape to an extremely persistent finish that echoes the spice and floral notes. One-third whole clusters and one-third new oak. - Josh Raynolds
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A pioneer in the renewal of the Condrieu appellation, Domaine Georges Vernay has always made wines of unique style, notable for their finesse, elegance and harmony. The property has become a major emblem of Rhone Valley winegrowing, from the time when Georges Vernay saved the Condrieu appellation to the international awards earned by Christine Vernay’s Côte-Rôtie. Three generations have left the mark of the philosophy on the estate, while perpetuating its traditions in the greatest respect for both vines and winegrowers.
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.