1999 Domaine René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde

One of the genuinely great, mature Côte Rôties out there today , the 1999 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde has everything you could want in a wine. Gorgeous amounts of ripe red and black fruits, spring flowers, charcuterie, violets, and spice define the bouquet and it’s full-bodied, multi-dimensional, and seamless on the palate. From a year that yielded concentrated yet fresh, classic wines, this beautiful, magical wine is going to cruise in cold cellars for another decade.

The star of the show, the 1999 Côte Rôtie Côte Blonde is an incredible Côte Rôtie that possesses the awesome complexity and nuance that this appellation is known for, but also has an incredible, seamless, yet massive feel on the palate that has to be tasted to be believed. Utter perfection, with heavenly notes of cured meats, black raspberry, spring flowers and violets, it’s certainly one of the greatest Côte Rôties I’ve tasted. While it will evolve gracefully for another decade or more, it’s heavenly today.