There is no better way to develop an understanding of the different expressions of the single vineyard sites of Côte-Rôtie than by tasting from barrel in Jean-Paul Jamet's underground bunker - especially in a vintage like 2016. 'You smell the terroir first in 2016; in 2015, you smell the vintage first,' he says. Whereas his wonderful 2015 has a lush, easy-going charm, the 2016 is more tailored and precise. Moving from Les Lezards to Gerine, then Fongeant, Le Plomb and La Landonne, each barrel has its own marked character. It's clear that this is an elegant vintage, not hugely powerful but detailed and complex.
Matt Walls, October 2017