2017 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie SO Brune

Bright purple. Fresh dark fruit and floral pastille aromas are complemented by suggestions of exotic spices, olive, bacon and smoky minerals. Shows very good depth and breadth on the palate, offering sappy blackberry, bitter cherry and candied violet flavors that turn sweeter with aeration. Finishes with solid tannic grip and impressive persistence, leaving floral and spice notes behind. I find the wildness here much more in check than I did with the Nature bottling.