2017 Cotes du Rhone 'Equivoque'
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Tasting notes
Marked by a little reduction for now, there is a red-fruited lift to the nose here that mingles nicely with the flinty, peppery tones on the nose. Smoky and spicy on the palate, this opens up quickly and nicely with air. Chalky and fine, it may well merit a higher score if enjoyed over a bottle with air rather than as a half glass in such stellar company. (TP)
Critic scores
Average Score
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Coming from vines bordering Côte Rôtie, the 2017 Côtes Du Rhône Equivoque tastes just like a Côte Rôtie and has perfumed and complex notes of red and black fruits, green olives, bacon fat, and violets. Readers looking for a gem of a wine that drinks well above its price point should jump on this beauty. It’s medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, and should evolve for 6-7 years. Domaine Jamet is located high up on the upper plateau above Côte Rôtie, around the village of le Vallin, and Jean-Paul and Corinne Jamet have been farming 25 different plots here, spread across 17 lieux-dits, since 1984. The majority of their holdings are located in the more schist-dominated Côte Brune side of Côte Rôtie (Chavaroche and Le Truchet being the largest) yet they also have prime real estate in Lancement and the Côte Blonde. The winemaking here is traditional yet not dogmatic, and the cellars are clean and impeccably kept. While Jean-Paul likes stems, there are plenty of parcels, and vintages, that see varying degrees of destemming and aging occurs mostly in demi-muids, with 15-30% being new. His Côte Rôties are bottled unfined and unfiltered after two years in barrel. Jamet’s wines represent a quintessential Côte Rôtie and possess incredible aromatics as well as a concentrated, structured style on the palate that rewards 5-7 years of bottle age. Top vintages of Jamet’s Côte Rôtie can evolve positively for 25 to 30 years. In addition to the classic cuvée, they also release a tiny production Côte Rôtie Côte Brune in top vintages. This cuvée comes all from the Côte Brune lieu-dit and sees a touch more new wood, but is largely made in the same, classic style. It always has a touch more concentration and structure yet can also show more elegant tannins.
Still in demi-muid at the time of my visit, the 2017 Cotes du Rhone Equivoque is a blend of two undestemmed parcels. It's medium to full-bodied and dark-fruited, with no obvious stemmy notes. Cassis and blueberries glide silkily across the palate, finishing long and intense.