Description
I luckily did get to both literally watch/smell the wine being assembled before my very eyes, and then get to drink some…..This cuvée is always a blend of three older vine parcels in the south facing lower portion of la Combe from some 80+ year old vines, the upper slope portion of Champelrose, and the Eygats that regularly brings more structure/tannin to the blend. With 30% whole cluster inclusion, there is no doubt about it, this stuff is fantastic. Deeeeeep, wonderfully complex aromatics of light black fruits, violets and spices leads to a positively silken velvety palate of mouth coating yet elegant precision and focus. The finish here sails on for quite a long time, betraying no excesses whatsoever, finishing all on long florals and spice. This stuff is knockout good. A bell ringing little * awarded here.
“Opaque ruby. Heady dark berry preserve, incense, olive paste and exotic spice aromas show excellent clarity and pick up mineral and cola nuances with air. Broad, sappy and appealingly sweet, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit, violet pastille and spicecake flavors and a suggestion of candied licorice. Tightens up on the extremely persistent finish, which features blueberry, spicecake and cracked pepper notes and slowly building tannins.” 94 Josh Raynolds for the 2016, NOT THE 2017 OFFERED HERE
“very shiny dark red robe, plenty of appeal. The bouquet has an inviting air of dark berry fruit, a neat sweetness underpinning it. It’s still on the starting blocks. The palate is elegant, presents sweet tooth appeal, a soft roll of raspberry, dark red berry fruit, drinks easily now, is from the flashy, exuberant school more than the structured one. The tannins are bendy, increase its depth just a little. It can deliver a little more variety over time, is a gourmand, polished Cornas. It has been bottled already. 13.5°. From mid-2019. 2033-35 Dec 2018” Four stars, John Livingstone Learmonth
