2016 Cote Rotie
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Tasting notes
Deep ruby. Expressive aromas of ripe blackberry, boysenberry, licorice and olive paste show very good clarity and pick up a smoky nuance as the wine stretches out. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering concentrated black and blue fruit flavors complemented by a building floral pastille note. Shows noticeable weight on the broad, gently tannic finish, which echoes the dark berry and licorice notes. (JR)
Critic scores
The Wine Advocate
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Moving to the 2016s and starting with the 2016 Côte Rôtie Ampodium, this beautiful, silky, incredibly elegant wine has classic notes of red and black fruits, spring flowers, hints of bacon fat as well as green olive. Medium-bodied, about as graceful and elegant as they come, with sweet tannins and a great finish, it’s a no-brainer purchase to drink over the coming 10-15 years. I followed this bottle for two days and it does best with a decant if drinking any time soon. I loved the 2016s from barrel from the young Pierre Rostaing and they didn’t disappoint from bottle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find bottles of the Côte Brune and la Viallière (they didn’t show the wines at the domaine and I purchased bottles locally) but I’ve no doubt they’re brilliant wines as well. I suspect the 2017s will eclipse the 2016s.
There are 20,000 bottles of Rostaing's 2016 Cote Rotie Ampodium, so it is the cuvée most consumers are likely to encounter. It's a fine example of the appellation, offering briary notes of ripe red fruit with spice and herb shadings. It's medium-bodied, silky and fine, with attractive notes of licorice and tea on the finish that give this entry-level wine more complexity than most.