Louis Barruol has turned out a successful 2021 Cote Rotie, evoking hints of espresso, smoked meat, black olives and tart berries. It's medium-bodied and silky-textured, with tea-like notes on the complex, elegant finish.- JC

(94+ points) The 2020 Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos is tighter and more focused, with a more blue-fruited perfume of cassis, graphite, violets, and peppered meat-like aromas and flavors. The polar opposite of the broad, ripe...

A gem of a Côte Rôtie, the 2017 Côte Rôtie Terrasses shows the sunnier style of the vintage yet brings impressive purity, precision, and balance. Vibrant red fruits, flowers, herbes de Provence, and subtle gamey nuances...

Perfumed and appealing, with pretty violet, hibiscus, fresh plum and red currant notes that turn supple and mouthfilling on the palate. A harmonious wine, with singed alder and oak spice sweetness in perfect balance. The...

A bruiser, blockbuster style, with a richly styled beam of cassis and black currant offering generosity and ripeness, all laced up with finely polished tannins. Shows poise and power, with smoked meat, lavender and racy...

A seductive version, featuring licorice and spiced blackberry preserves with concentration and range. Violet perfume wafts through, while lashings of saline, smoked meat, tar and dried herbs make this equally savory...

The classic 2020 Saint-Joseph Les Grisières presents wafts of graphite, crushed violets, ripe red fruits and cedary undertones. Elegant and refined, this concentrated and neatly structured red has all the ingredients for...

The 2020 Côte Rôtie Terrasses is terrific and shows the forward, sexy style of the vintage while still being classic Côte Rôtie! Black raspberries, peppery herbs, spring flowers, and a kiss of game all define the bouquet...

A firm yet enticing expression with a captivating blend of black cherry, crème de menthe, violets, and black olives. Fresh and vibrant, the palate is silky, with well-integrated tannins and a whisper of clove on the...

Pure cassis, blue fruits, new leather, graphite, and hints of bouquet garni define the aromatics of the 2022 Cornas, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an ultra-fine, pure, seamless mouthfeel...

I loved the 2018 Côte Rôtie Terrasses, which is slightly more supple and elegant than both the 2017 and 2019. Offering darker red, almost blue fruits as well as peppery game, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality...

Textural intrigue seduces in this muscular and meaty red, with a well of black currant and plum, plus plenty of smoky depth. Chalky in feel, with black pepper and lavender details, including bitter plum pit at the end...

The 2021 Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune is a towering success. It unwinds with a mesmerizingly complex perfume of juniper, crushed violets, chamomile, blueberry jam, menthol and herbal tea. Licorice and black pepper add spicy...

Generous on the nose, the wine presents juicy aromas of black plum, blackberry and crème de menthe, with a layer of violets and fine granite minerality. The palate is equally luscious and presents a silky texture with...

Moving to the single vineyard 2020 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, this beauty is 100% Syrah that spent 16 months in a mix of new and used barrels. It's similarly deep purple/plum-hued yet has a more mineral-laced, focused...

Sleek, ripe and focused at first, with a racy beam of black currant and blackberry fruit that drives through, carried by a graphite edge and flanked by sweet bay leaf, tapenade and pepper accents. The long finish has a...

There’s a meaty, smoky, peppery edge to this salty, powerhouse Cornas. Massive in scale yet achieves perfect harmony between its ripeness, texture and energy. Juniper, black pepper, grilled garrigue and apple wood smoke...

Rose, potpourri, red and black fruits, and very floral notes all emerge from the 2022 Côte Rôtie Côte Brune, a medium to full-bodied Côte Rôtie that has beautiful tannins, an incredible sense of minerality, and a very...

Deep, shimmering ruby. Mineral-accented aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, violet and exotic spices. Sappy and energetic on the palate, offering gently sweet cherry and blueberry flavors that deepen slowly with air and...

If you think that syrah is never charming then you need to try this exception to the rule. Bright nose of violets and wild red berries with a whiff of smoke. Well-judged healthy tannins complement the bright fruit on the...

A vibrant and well-structured St.-Joseph with intense violet aroma in the nose and on the palate. This is well complemented by the crisp tannins and smoky character. Racy and very mineral at the long linear finish. From...

Shimmering ruby. Fresh black and blue fruits, candied flowers and baking spices on the expressive nose. Appealingly sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering juicy blueberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that firm up...

Crushed stone, mint, blackberries and cassis all appear upon the nose of the 2020 Ermitage le Pavillon. The great vintages of these wines soak up the oak, like this one has. Full-bodied, concentrated and massive in scale...

All destemmed and brought up in larger oak, the 2017 Syrah Sainte-Agathe is more serious, with a Côte Rôtie-like perfume of smoked game, framboise, spring flowers, and hints of olives. Elegant, medium-bodied, silky and...

(94+ points) Harvested mid-September and from a lieu-dit in the southern part of the appellation, the 2020 Côte Rôtie Maison Rouge (100% Syrah with 40% stems) was vinified and aged in barrels, some of which were new...