As normal, the 2016 Côte Rôtie Côte Brune is like the classic Côte Rôtie only slightly more dark fruited and concentrated, and yet also more seamless and elegant, with Jean-Paul always describing this cuvée as more feminine (I’m not sure I agree with him on that point). It has fabulous density in its assorted dark fruits, olive tapenade, bacon fat, and smoked earth aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, seamless, pure, and yet beautifully concentrated, it’s another incredible, classic 2016 that will benefit from short-term cellaring and age gracefully.
August 2018