Jeb Dunnuck (98-100)

The 2019 Côte Rôtie Landonne is legendary stuff and one of those wines that will stop you in your tracks. Dense purple, with full-bodied aromas and flavors of dark, smoky fruits, smoked game, iron, and peppery herbs, it has incredible purity of fruit, perfect balance, and masses of silky, polished tannins. It’s going to demand a decade of bottle age, but this is magical.

Vinous (97)

Opaque ruby. Vibrant blackberry, cherry, incense, Moroccan spice, potpourri and smoky mineral qualities on the expansive, seductively perfumed nose. Offers vibrant black and blue fruit, spicecake, olive and floral pastille flavors that show bright detail and energetic mineral lift. The floral and spice notes recur strongly on the youthfully gripping finish, which features mounting tannins and lingering smokiness.

Decanter (99)

Beautifully fragrant and floral, showing rose and violet characters. Super-fine, silky tannins and lovely acidity, this is an eminently classic Côte Brune, with flowers, cinnamon, black olive, rosemary and perfectly ripe, bright blackberries. It has a tapered finish - not the same concentration and power as 2019 - but with great finesse and elegance of expression. Beautifully balanced and very hard to fault.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Mid garnet. Heady mushrooms and violet nose. This is extraordinarily concentrated and tastes like a grand cru. Wow! Classic, top-quality red burgundy that's so vibrant, rich and yet elegant. Really rather thrilling. Perhaps the most exciting 2019 I have tasted in London.

Jancis Robinson (16.5+)

Cask sample. Bright, light crimson. Quite a meaty nose but the fruit is bright and energetic. Pure, fresh fruit – lighter than the average Gevrey from another vintage but a very approachable, lively wine. Lots of ripe-tomato perfume.

John Livingstone-Learmonth (5)

The bouquet is bold, on beef stock, iron, dense black berries, has a poised, integral sweetness, airs of raspberry liqueur, oak smoke. It’s a solid start. The palate has the theme of mineral well placed through it, a lot of mountain of matter, thickening towards the finish. It holds sparkling and dense fruits – cassis, soaked cherries. It is vibrant and very full; there is real flair off its sun-dialled deck. It has great juice; it’s a treat to taste this. Decanting advised. It has a lot of black fruits, a belle freshness to underpin it; it’s very long.

Vinous (92)

Deep ruby. A mineral- and smoke-tinged bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits and licorice; a floral nuance builds as the wine opens with air. Shows very good energy and spicy lift to its juicy boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors, which are complemented by suggestions of allspice, smoked meat and candied licorice. Finishes long and taut, with repeating cherry notes, chewy tannic grip and a jolt of spicy cracked pepper.

Vinous (92)

Brilliant violet. Intense, mineral-accented cherry pit and cassis scents, along with hints of succulent herbs, olive, smoky bacon and violet. Juicy dark fruit and bitter cherry flavors unfold and slowly turn sweeter on the back half while picking up a zesty hint of cracked pepper. Fine-grained tannins lend gentle grip to the finish, which hangs on with impressive, spicy tenacity and repeating smokiness.

Burghound (93)

The ripe and beautifully layered aromas offer up notes of cassis, wild dark berries and plenty of sauvage characteristics. There is lovely sense of underlying tension present on the reasonably concentrated and powerful flavors that also exude evident minerality on the very firm but well-balanced, complex and sneaky long finale. This is an archetypical Cazetiers of muscle and overt power.

Vinous (90-92)

The 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur 1er Cru, which is a new long-term contract for Drouhin, is lucid ruby in color. It has a fresh raspberry and crushed strawberry nose, touches of mint and allspice emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip on the entry. It feels well structured, with good backbone, maybe missing a little tension toward the finish, but persistent and satisfying. Give it two or three years in bottle.

Dive into the enchanting experience of tasting the exquisite Lafoy Cote Rotie Rozier 2018. Crafted in the hallowed vineyards of the northern Rhone Valley in France, this fine wine reaffirms the renowned legacy of its producer, the eminent Domaine Lafoy. This splendid bottle combines the signature Syrah grapes with a minuscule addition of Viognier, delivering an aromatic symphony upon uncorking.

Meticulously aged in oak barrels for 18 months, the Lafoy Cote Rotie Rozier 2018 showcases an inimitable profile of blackberry fruit, spiced undertones, and subtly smoky notes, layered with complexities of leather and black pepper, truly epitomising the expression of the terroir. This wine promises an elongated, velvety finish, delighting the palate with every sip, and resonates with Lafoy's commitment to creating wines that harmoniously blend power and elegance. Acquire this laudable vintage to enhance your collection of fine wines compellingly.

Discover the enchanting experience of indulging in the Lafoy Cote Rotie Rozier 2018, an epitome of fine winemaking expertise and tradition.

Vinous (93+)

Good bright medium red. Aromas of raspberry, rose petal, minerals and crushed stone convey a very sexy, slightly high-toned liqueur-like quality. Dense, fine-grained and taut, displaying piquant mineral energy and mouthwatering acidity to its flavors of raspberry, cherry and blood orange. Really compelling inner-mouth tension here. This firmly tannic, classic 2014 finishes with lovely rising floral length. I would not be at all surprised if a decade of cellaring brought an even higher score.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Cask sample. Bright mid crimson. Pale rim. Really quite heady and distinctive on the nose. Attractive savoury cut on the palate but quite full bodied. This does immediately taste like grand cru weight. Masses of fruit and a little bit of bitter cherry on the end. Lightly muscular in a good way. Clean and brisk and long.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

This is the most brooding of the four of five Clos Saint Jacques tasted for this report. It is singularly concentrated with tightly coiled black fruits: blackberries, sloe and black currants. The tannins are slightly coarse but not drying and will nicely melt into this boisterous wine in due time. The fresh current of acidity draws out the finale that shows some herbal uplift. 2025-38

Jancis Robinson (18)

Cask sample. Bright mid garnet. Sweet, jewelly, bright-fruited nose. Superior density and great fragrance. Real impact on the palate. Great persistence. Refined but not scrawny. Lifted and elegant on the nose with real breadth on the palate. Just gorgeous already even though one knows that it will just go on getting better and better.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Cask sample. Deep garnet. Intense ferny undergrowth on the nose and pretty exciting vivacity on the palate. More concentrated than most. Closer perhaps to the traditional view of red burgundy. There is so much fruit that you could, with murder in mind, drink this even sooner. GV (relatively).

Tim Atkin MW (95)

This wine smells like where it comes from: high on the hills of Gevrey, tucked in near to the forest. Forest floor and fresh mushrooms mingle with bramble and blackberries. Nicely ripe and less crunchy than it often is, the full body is surrounded by spicy tannins and generous acidity. 2024-35

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Danish pastries and roasted plums on the nose, very sweet and spicy. Fleshy and opulent on the palate, with great intensity of fruit. The tannins build and offer depth, structure and savour. Long and expansive on the finish.

Vinous (93-95)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1er Cru has an exquisite bouquet of crystalline red berry fruit laced with minerals, wonderfully delineated and focused. The palate is smooth and sensual on the entry, and very cohesive, with a perfect line of acidity. Pure and ravishing, armed with a satin-textured finish, this is going to be very difficult to resist once in bottle. Superb.

Burghound (88)

Here too the wood toast is sufficiently present to warrant pointing out on the cool, pretty and airy red berry fruit aromas where background hints of just turned earth and violet add breadth. I very much like the mid-palate texture of the medium-bodied flavors that contrast somewhat with the mildly edgy if still persistent and slightly firmer finish. This may better harmonize with a few years of keeping but for the moment, it's not quite as well-balanced.

Experience the divine balance of fruit and ground in the Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2018. Elegantly hailing from the heart of France's renowned Burgundy region, this dignified, single-vineyard Pinot Noir exhibits the expertise of fourth-generation vigneron, Alexandrine Roy. Her passion for minimalistic, traditional methods reflects in this wine — a testament to the purity that Gevrey-Chambertin is renowned for.

The Marc Roy Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2018 exhibits a stunning ruby-red colour, hinting at the delicate aromas of raspberry and spices. A sip hints of firm yet supple tannins, underlined by nuances of red fruit and earthy notes. Each bottle proudly stands testament to the meticulous hand harvesting and diligent, indigenous yeast fermenting process employed by the estate. For enthusiasts of well-structured Burgundian wines, this nuanced creation offers both complexity and finesse. Enjoy this exquisite wine today, or allow it to age gracefully, unveiling its full potential in the years to come.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2015 Côte Rôtie Belle Helene is up there with the handful of greatest young Syrahs I've ever been lucky enough to taste. Coming all from the Côte Rozier lieu-dit in the northern portion of the appellation, just above Guigal's la Landonne lieu-dit, this majestic wine offers incredible blue fruits, liquid violets, olive tapenade, and aged meats. Full-bodied, ultra-fine, deep, concentrated, and as seamless and pure as it gets. It's already approachable (which is rare for this cuvée) due to its perfectly ripe tannin, yet will need 7-8 years of bottle age and keep for 2-3 decades.

Wine Advocate (97)

Even better and shockingly good in the vintage, the 2011 Cote Rotie Lancement is 100% Syrah that comes from the more southern end of the appellation (more Cote Blonde than Cote Brune). Giving the top Belle Helene cuvee a run for its money, this thrilling 2011 dishes out spectacular notes sweet berry fruit, bacon, pepper and gamy nuances that flow to a full-bodied, seamless and incredibly textured, lengthy feel on the palate. Possessing no hard edges and perfect integration of its acidity, tannin and fruit, this is riveting stuff that should not be missed!

Vinous (93)

Deep, lurid violet. Potent, mineral- and spice-accented red and dark fruit preserve aromas take on hints of olive and licorice as the wine opens up. Shows very good depth as well as energy in the mouth, offering gently sweet raspberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors and a touch of spicy black pepper. Distinctly suave and focused on the impressively long finish, which features sneaky tannins and a late, sweetening jolt of candied violet. For an entry-level Côte-Rôtie, this wine is awfully impressive. 10% new oak.

Vinous (96)

Inky ruby. Powerful, spice- and smoke-accented aromas of fresh black and blue fruits, candied violet, licorice and cola, along with a hint of exotic spices that builds in the glass. Sweet, palate-staining cassis, boysenberry, floral pastille and licorice flavors turn livelier with air. Impressively concentrated but surprisingly energetic, courtesy of its spine of smoky minerality. Finishes sappy, youthfully chewy and extremely long, with steadily mounting tannins and lingering florality. 25% new oak.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2017 Cote Rotie Domaine des Pierrelles is full-bodied but exceedingly elegant, with silky, fine-grained tannins. Charming notes of violets, raspberries and black olives lead the way, backed by hints of dried spices and mocha, finishing long. It's a complex and compelling example of Cote Rotie, and it's great to see all of the Jaboulet team's hard work in the vineyards paying off.

Vinous (92)

Opaque ruby. Powerful cherry, dark berries, olive and smoky minerals on the highly fragrant nose. Juicy and broad on the palate, offering bitter cherry, blackberry, candied violet and spicecake flavors that unfurl slowly on the back half. Shows impressive clarity and finishes on a smoky note, with resonating spiciness and rounded, even tannins that sneak in late.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Cask sample. Vivid stemmy character cutting across the redcurrant fruit on the nose. Superb concentration of fruit on the palate, yet avoids lumbering heaviness via fresh acid and a lengthy, perfumed finish. Savoury soy and aniseed character to finish. (RH)

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

One of the genuinely great, mature Côte Rôties out there today , the 1999 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde has everything you could want in a wine. Gorgeous amounts of ripe red and black fruits, spring flowers, charcuterie, violets, and spice define the bouquet and it’s full-bodied, multi-dimensional, and seamless on the palate. From a year that yielded concentrated yet fresh, classic wines, this beautiful, magical wine is going to cruise in cold cellars for another decade.