2019 Côte-Rôtie, Domaine Jamet, Rhône

Schedule to be bottled shortly after my visit, the 2019 Côte Rôtie has gorgeous, floral nuances that give way to more peppery, meaty, gamey notes that are the hallmark of this wonderful estate. Medium to full-bodied, it has considerable elegance and finesse on the palate Jean-Paul compares this to his 2001 and 2007), silky tannins, and a beautiful finish. It’s going to have some up-front appeal as well as a broad drink window.

I tasted the final blend of the 2019 Cote Rotie from tank, where it was awaiting bottling. It retains the essential elegance and complexity that typifies Jamet's Cote Rotie despite the warm summer; floral nuances combine with hints of wood ash and purple raspberries on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is velvety in texture and the flavors linger on the finish. It strikes me as being a touch less impressive than other recent vintages, but perhaps it will bounce back after bottling.

Drink 2023 - 2037

Dark violet colour. Powerful, spice- and mineral-tinged black and blue fruits, incense, violet and smoked meat on the expansive nose. Rich yet surprisingly energetic, offering palate-staining blueberry, cherry-cola, floral pastille and liquorice flavours that become sweeter as the wine opens up. It shows excellent energy and spicy thrust on the clinging finish, which is given shape by dusty, slow-building tannins.

Drink 2029 - 2039

Jean-Paul Jamet said '2019 gave wines in the style that I like to make'. A step up from the 2018 vintage, the 2019 is more vibrant and intense. A blend of 25 parcels, amounting to 17ha, almost exclusively on schist soils. No destemming. A tasting of nine different barrels across a variety of lieux-dits suggests that the 2019 Côte-Rôtie is very special indeed. This is vibrant and intense, but not as sunny as the 2018 in style - sugars and phenolics progressed at the same gradual rate in 2019, making for a more harmonious and balanced wine. You feel the hot vintage in the wine, but it's represented more as power and intensity than hot alcohol. Vivid and highly impressive.

Drink 2022 - 2045

Bright purple colour. This is an exercise in young Syrah—what a nose! High floral tones meld with fresh blueberry, dark cherries, freshly ground black and white pepper, dried herbs, game, smoked bacon, and more. The palate shows more fruit and pepper than anything else at this young stage, with remarkable purity and an effortless, fleet-footed intensity.

Tightening on the back end, this may well shut down in the near future, but it is absolutely delicious now. Waves of fruit and stem structure offer grip and crunch, but the tannins are set in harmony with the fruit. The whole bunch is ever-present as a character, but always on the right side of the line, refreshing the riper fruit tones on the long finish. Superb.

Drink 2022 - 2045