2020 Côte Rôtie “Fongeant”
Barruol Lynch
While Louis Barruol has long been one of the most acclaimed producers in the southern Rhône, it’s a wonder that he hasn’t yet achieved the same recognition for his grandiose work in the northern Rhône as well. Armed with encyclopedic knowledge of Côte Rôtie terroirs, and with an approach inspired by the greats of lore (think Marius Gentaz and Robert Jasmin, for example), Barruol consistently comes up with incredibly complex, yet delicate, old-school Syrah worthy of the Côte’s pantheon. Perhaps it would be better for you and me if it stayed under the radar! It is our privilege to bring in a pure cuvée sourced exclusively from the Fongeant lieu-dit, which sits right on the border of the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, and is renowned for sharing the best of both: tannins and structure from the Brune side, with silky, floral elegance provided by the Blonde.
—Chris Santini
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2020 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | Syrah |
| Appellation: | Côte Rôtie |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Northern Rhône |
| Producer: | Barruol / Lynch |
| Winemaker: | Louis Barruol |
| Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
| Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch