Côte Rôtie La Landonne 2018

DOMAINE ROSTAING

Côte Rôtie La Landonne
2018

Country
France
Regulated designation
Appellation origine controlée (AOC)
Region
Rhône Valley
Subregion
Northern Rhone
Appellation
Côte Rôtie
Varietal(s)
Syrah
Viognier
Colour
Red
Sugar
Dry
Producer's website

About this winery

René Rostaing is known as a Côte Rôtie Specialist, renowned for producing tiny quantities of extraordinarily refined Côte Rôtie wines, which in the words of Robert Parker are "reminiscent of Grand Cru Burgundy in their delicacy, elegance and sublime qualities." René started out in 1971, with less than half a hectare of Côte Rôtie vineyards split between the Côte Blonde and La Landonne. His breakthrough was in 1990 when he inherited highly prized vineyards from his father-in-law Albert...

See the DOMAINE ROSTAING detail page for more information on this brand

Press reviews

Decanter

- 97 points -

Matt Walls, October 2017

Aged in demi-muids - a maximum of 10% new oak - with no destemming. It has that austere mineral character on the nose so typical of La Landonne. It is rounded, with good concentration and ripeness, matched with ample, piercing acidity and bristling with fine, fresh tannins. Its intensity comes primarily from its structure and mineral content rather than the fruit, and it is incredibly energetic and lively on the palate. Powerful and very well balanced in a structural, chiselled style, this is in an altogether different league from his Ampodium, with a good balance of fruit, flowers and mineral scents.

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Vinous

- 97 points -

December 2022 (Vintage 2020)

Opaque ruby. Displays an array of intensely perfumed, mineral-accented black and blue fruit, floral, botanical herb and exotic spice aromas, along with suggestions of licorice, smoked meat and olive. Shows serious depth as well as unlikely energy, offering palate-staining kirsch, cassis, bitter chocolate, olive paste and violet pastille flavors that slowly turn sweet and become more energetic through the back half. Youthfully gripping tannins add grip to the smoky, mineral- and spice-driven finish, which emphatically repeats the licorice and blue fruit notes.

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Decanter

- 96 points -

September 2021 (Vintage 2020)

Classically dark, brooding fruits, this has length and depth, with good balance even though the acidity is quite low. With its intense and muscular tannins, this is for the long term. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak (limited newoak), with natural yeasts and as many stems as possible.

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Wine Spectator

- 95 points -

February 2019

Red Well-built, with lots of juicy plum, blackberry and black currant compote flavors at the core infused with anise, roasted apple wood, licorice and black tea notes. The finish is scored with a cast-iron note, keeping everything grounded.

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Wine Spectator

- 94 points -

September 2020

This has an old-school persona, with a dusty sandalwood and cedar frame around a mix of mulled plum and black cherry fruit, showing bay leaf, leather and savory notes. A smoldering dark earth accent runs through the finish.

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Jeb Dunnuck

98+

December 2022 (Vintage 2020)

Almost pure perfection, the 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne just about jumps out of the glass and offers up utterly classic La Landonne aromatics of smoked black fruits, cassis, scorched earth, cured meats, and ground pepper, with more violet and floral nuances in the background. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied, dense, and powerful, with building tannins and an incredibly layered mouthfeel. It's not for the instant gratification crowd, but this is one seriously good Côte Rôtie.

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