2010 Louis Barruol, Cote-Rotie “La Viailliere” Kermit Lynch Blend Cuvee, Northern Rhone, France.
Louis Barruol’s one of the Rhone’s busiest and best winemakers, sharing his talents with Kermit Lynch, making limited cuvees and of course crafting some of the greatest Gigondas wines at his Chateau de Saint-Cosme estate. His seemingly unlikely partnership with Kermit has proved a fantastic success in the last few years, especially his masterpieces, these Cote-Rotie, which Kermit helped blend into the final cuvees, like this 2010 La Viailliere, a stunningly pure Cote-Rotie that shows terroir and hedonism throughout. The dark hue has deep garnet, purple and inky blue in it’s core leading to a violet perfumed bouquet, from there you are seduced into a glorious palate of blueberry, creme de cassis, boysenberry and ripe plum fruits, cherry liqueur, cracked pepper, fig cake, savory meat notes,crushed stones, licorice and hints of earth and black olive. This amazing young Syrah is drinking suburb now, but should develop in the bottle for another 5 to 10 years, without question this is great wine through and through, the nose, mouth feel, layers and finish are all top rate and this could be only Cote-Rotie. This beautiful expression has subtle wood shadings and a sleek (modern) clean presence, but it is full of life and old world soul, bravo.
($70 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive
