2018 Cote Rotie Les Rochains

Saturated ruby. An expansive bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, baking spices, candied flowers and licorice, and a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Seamless, sweet and broad on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black currant, boysenberry and fruitcake flavors that spread out and take on a spicy nuance with aeration. Manages to be rich and powerful but elegant as well, showing superb balance and velvety, even tannins that shape an extremely long, floral- and dark-fruit-driven finish. 20% new oak.

The 2018 Côte Rôtie Les Rochains will see 20 months in 30% new French oak before bottling. Its deep purple color is followed by a concentrated, ripe, sexy Côte Rôtie that has plenty of blue and black fruits, toasted spice, chocolate, and floral aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, with just a kiss of background oak, it displays a seamless, silky texture and notable balance. It's going to drink nicely for 15+ years.