Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From one of the greatest terroirs in the appellation, the 2022 Côte Rôtie La Landonne reveals powerful black and blue fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and liquid violet notes, with subtle espresso in the background. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has a beautifully focused, mineral-laced character and impeccable balance. The tannins are serious yet integrated, and this profound wine will require a decade of patience and should evolve gracefully for three decades or more. Rating: 97+
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James Suckling
A precise, chalky, driven and fleshy syrah. It shows dark cherries, dark plums and cassis on the nose, together with baking spices and a hint of sandalwood. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Well-composed and lively, with concentration and focus. Bright, succulent, long and flavorful finish.
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Wine Spectator
Textural intrigue seduces in this muscular and meaty red, with a well of black currant and plum, plus plenty of smoky depth. Chalky in feel, with black pepper and lavender details, including bitter plum pit at the end. Stays focused throughout despite its ripeness, and the tannins are sturdy yet fine-grained, with smoldering graphite underpinnings. There's a lot of power, but elegance too.
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.