Côte-Rotie La Viaillère
2020
$284.75*
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...
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Beautifully detailed, floral, violet-scented nose; totally classic, tender and charming. Medium- to full-bodied, with cooling, fresh blackberry fruit. Super-fine, plentiful but elegant tannins and the little bitter kick is classic Viallière. This is exceptional and will provide a lot of pleasure. Four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak (limited new oak), with natural yeasts and as many stems as possible.
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While this vineyard suffered immensely from frost in the spring of 2021, the 2020 Cote Rotie la Viaillere looks amazing. Marked by vibrant, intense notes of purple raspberries and violets, this is full-bodied, rich and velvety, with wonderfully fine tannins and a nearly never-ending finish. While La Viallière is not my favorite lieu-dit, this is truly special.
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From a great terroir in the northern part of Côte Rôtie, the 2020 Côte Rôtie Le Viallière is another perfumed, mineral-laced 2020, offering a beautiful nose of darker raspberries, camphor, violets, woodsmoke, and grilled bread. Possessing huge minerality, it's medium to full-bodied, has a tight, compact mouthfeel, lots of tannins, and a great finish.
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