2009 Domaine Tardieu-Laurent Côte-Rôtie

Opaque violet. Very sexy, perfumed aromas of ripe black raspberry, olive and flowers; there's a wild, almost gamey quality to this wine's perfume that's pretty interesting. Fresh and juicy in the mouth, with distinct sweetness to the dark berry, cherry-cola, smoky herb and bitter chocolate flavors. The finish is juicy, focused and shows a suave floral quality. Tardieu says that he thinks this wine might turn out like the 1999 version.

Extraordinary depth of purple here for a Côte Rôtie. Very fragrant with a note of saltiness and some softness of texture. Intriguing. There is fennel and some satin element. Easy to see that it is a marriage of the electric Tardieu Laurent style with the alluring scent and softness of a fine Côte Rôtie. There is no obvious heat on the end. I don’t know the potency of this barrel sample but it seems unobtrusive. Tannins very mellow. (JR)