2016 Cote Rotie les Essartailles
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Tasting notes
Opaque ruby. Vibrant, mineral-accented blueberry, cherry, violet and spicecake aromas pick up a hint of olive as the wine opens up. Sweet and energetic on the palate, offering sharply focused dark berry and floral pastille flavors complemented by a suggestion of five-spice powder. The impressively long, mineral-dominated finish delivers strong, spicy cut and fine-grained tannins that come in late and add shape and gentle grip.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Pepper aromas on the palate after an uneventful nose, and there's lovely crunchy black fruit here too. Well-integrated tannin and acid, no excess oak, freshness on the finish – all very enjoyable. Extra complexity should emerge on the nose with bottle age. (RH)