2015 Côte-Rôtie “Besset”
Barruol / Lynch
Today, Côte-Rôtie is enjoying a comeback. These once-neglected steep slopes overlooking the Rhône are now highly sought after by vignerons who recognize the potential for a delicious and distinctive expression of Syrah. Among them is Louis Barruol, proprietor of Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas, who has developed a small project purchasing fruit from some of the finest terroirs upriver and crafting several micro-cuvées of traditional Côte-Rôtie. This entails selecting sustainably grown Serine (an old clone of Syrah) from top vineyard sites and vinifying in neutral wood with the grape stems, as was once common practice, before an unfined and unfiltered bottling. The lieu-dit Besset lies at the top of the slope, where cooling breezes offset the richness endowed by the full southern exposure in a warm vintage. From the classic aromas of graphite, black fruit, and roasted spice, to the total finesse of its tannins, this is Côte-Rôtie at its best.
—Anthony Lynch
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2015 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | Syrah |
| Appellation: | Côte-Rôtie |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Northern Rhône |
| Producer: | Barruol Lynch - Northern Rhône |
| Winemaker: | Louis Barruol |
| Vineyard: | 30 years |
| Soil: | Schist |
| Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
| Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171