2015 Cote Rotie Reserve

Deep ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, violet, olive paste and smoky minerals, with a suave floral topnote. Offers densely packed black and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that stretch out slowly as the wine opens up. Displays excellent definition on a very long, lively finish that's given shape by chewy, building tannins.

The 2015 Côte Rôtie Reserve is brilliant stuff. I was able to taste this from two separate bottles and it never failed to impress. Coming from all the estate terroirs, and including some seriously top juice, its deep purple color is followed by a beautiful perfume of black raspberries, spiced meats, and incense, with an undeniable mineral/dried earth character developing with time in the glass. With full-bodied richness, ripe, yet present tannin, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will cruise for 10-15 years. I was able to taste the 2015s from the incredibly talented Stéphane Ogier twice, once during my visit at the estate, which was just after bottling, and then again from bottles shipped to my office in Colorado. These are ripe, polished, sexy wines from Stéphane that show the purity as well as the opulence of this great, great vintage. The 2016 vintage was compared to 2006 by Ogier, which was a solid, under the radar vintage from the northern Rhône. The barrel samples all showed terrific purity of fruit and balanced styles, and should check in near the top of the vintage. This estate is certainly at the top of its game and readers looking for some of the most profound Côte Rôties out there are advised to get on this estate’s bandwagon.

The 2015 Cote Rotie Reserve is rich, velvety-textured and long. Raspberries and herbal notes are joined by hints of cured meat in this medium to full-bodied wine. It should drink well for up to 15 years.