2010 Cote Rotie Ampodium

Rich, fragrant and quite brett-heavy on the nose. Pure black pepper on the palate. Medicinal notes. Full on power. (RH)

Vivid ruby. Intense, spice- and floral-accented aromas of dark berry preserves, potpourri and Asian spices, with a bright mineral nuance gaining strength with air. Fresh and incisive, offering sappy black raspberry and boysenberry flavors and a sexy note of candied violet. Fine-grained tannins shape the long, juicy and penetrating finish, which echoes the floral note.

The 2010 Cote Rotie Ampodium is performing much better from bottle than it did last year. Fashioned from a dozen separate terroirs in Cote Rotie, it exhibits tell-tale notes of licorice, tapenade, black currants and black raspberries with a floral component in the background. Beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, rich and opulent, this superb Cote Rotie can be drunk now or cellared for 10-15 years. P.S. Readers should not forget Rostaing’s brilliant 2009 Coteaux de Languedoc Puech Noble, which received a score of 90 last year. I retasted it this year and rated it identically. It is a sleeper selection from Rostaing, and if you can not find or afford his Cote Roties, this wine (70% Syrah and the rest equal parts Mourvedre and Grenache aged in a combination of tank and older wood) is a brilliant 30,000-bottle cuvee that represents great value. Rene Rostaing believes the finest vintages in Cote Rotie have been 1971, 1991 and 2010. I would add 2009 as Rostaing made spectacular wines in that vintage, although I understand that for his personal taste they are at the limit of extreme ripeness. A perfectionist, Rostaing has made exceptionally strong wines in both 2011 and 2010. Importer: Manny Berk, The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484