2018 Cote Rotie Les Rochains
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Tasting notes
Made identically to the Cote Rozier—using 20% whole clusters and 30% new oak—the 2018 Cote Rotie les Rochins is deep and earthy, with scents of loam, cedar and cola leading the way, backed by plummy fruit and touches of black olives. It's full-bodied and concentrated, dense and rich on the palate, with a long, velvety finish.
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
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Saturated ruby. An expansive bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, baking spices, candied flowers and licorice, and a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Seamless, sweet and broad on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black currant, boysenberry and fruitcake flavors that spread out and take on a spicy nuance with aeration. Manages to be rich and powerful but elegant as well, showing superb balance and velvety, even tannins that shape an extremely long, floral- and dark-fruit-driven finish. 20% new oak.
The 2018 Côte Rôtie Les Rochains will see 20 months in 30% new French oak before bottling. Its deep purple color is followed by a concentrated, ripe, sexy Côte Rôtie that has plenty of blue and black fruits, toasted spice, chocolate, and floral aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, with just a kiss of background oak, it displays a seamless, silky texture and notable balance. It's going to drink nicely for 15+ years.