2017 Cote Rotie Le Combard
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Tasting notes
Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Powerful, smoke-accented red and dark berry aromas are complemented by suggestions of allspice and pungent flowers. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering juicy black raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that become sweeter on the back half. Smooth, even tannins frame a long, penetrating finish that leaves dark chocolate and baking spice notes behind.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
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A selection from within Combard, and the only 2017 presented by Barge this year, the 2017 Cote Rotie Coeur de Combard epitomizes the lightness and delicacy of this unique site. Mint, roses and tea elements accent strawberries in this medium-bodied, slightly lean wine. It's very pretty aromatically, with a tense, wiry feel on the palate and a tart, mouthwatering finish.
The 2017 Côte Rôtie Coeur De Combard is another seriously good 2017, and Côte Rôtie is the shining star in this vintage. It offers lots of blue and purple fruits as well as classic green olive, bacon fat and floral nuances. This deeply colored, medium to full-bodied 2017 has fine tannins as well as terrific balance and purity of fruit. This traditionally run family estate pulls mostly from the Côte Brune side of Côte Rôtie. The wines are made by the young Julien Barge, with assistance from his father, Gilles Barge. Both of the 2016s presented showed much better from bottle than barrel, which is always a good sign. It also makes the showing of the 2017s even more impressive. For whatever reason, they opted not to show their Côte Blonde cuvée.