1996 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne

Pierre Rostaing presented a spectacular lineup of wines in 2022, placing them among the appellation's finest. The Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune is a knockout. These wines are dense, pure and brimming with personality. They are also built for the long haul, designed to reveal their brilliance only with time. Comparing the 2023 barrel samples to the 2022s I tasted last year, the 2022s exhibited more pronounced structure and density, while the 2023s show a rounder, more complete profile, even at this early stage. Although the 2023s might not rival the longevity of the 2022s, they are undeniably delicious, bursting with energy. Rostaing employs up to 100% whole-cluster fermentation for his reds, with the proportion of new oak kept at roughly 10% in recent vintages. Readers should also seek out Rostaing’s crisp 2023 Condrieu La Bonnette, a vibrant Viognier that undergoes neither oak aging nor malolactic fermentation.

Pierre Rostaing presented a spectacular lineup of wines in 2022, placing them among the appellation's finest. The Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune is a knockout. These wines are dense, pure and brimming with personality. They are also built for the long haul, designed to reveal their brilliance only with time. Comparing the 2023 barrel samples to the 2022s I tasted last year, the 2022s exhibited more pronounced structure and density, while the 2023s show a rounder, more complete profile, even at this early stage. Although the 2023s might not rival the longevity of the 2022s, they are undeniably delicious, bursting with energy. Rostaing employs up to 100% whole-cluster fermentation for his reds, with the proportion of new oak kept at roughly 10% in recent vintages. Readers should also seek out Rostaing’s crisp 2023 Condrieu La Bonnette, a vibrant Viognier that undergoes neither oak aging nor malolactic fermentation.

Like most of his colleagues in Côte-Rôtie, Pierre Rostaing faced a challenging 2021 growing season. “We lost half of our crop due to April frosts. Some vineyards were barely touched, while others lost up to 80%. But the frost was also a blessing. As 2021 lacked sunlight, losing half of the crop helped the remaining fruit to ripen. No chaptalization was necessary. The final wine profile reminds me of what we could have seen some time ago, with maturities that are more restrained and around 12-12.5% alcohol,” Rostaing explains. “In 2021, we also rediscovered the whole cluster expression, with a considerable stem presence that enhances the aromatic complexity. These are elements we had somewhat lost in the warmer years.” Taking a closer look at what’s in the glass, Rostaing's three individual Côte-Rôties, Ampodium, La Landonne and Côte Blonde, are indeed all quite stemmy, yet simultaneously polished, spicy and refreshing. They aren’t as ripe and won’t be as long-lived as the surrounding two vintages, but they do offer solid quality and earlier accessibility. Moving on to 2022, Rostaing draws parallels to 2020. “There’s a viticultural perspective of the exceptional drought which I haven’t seen before. In May, some vines shut down, but the vines were quite resilient, going into a sort of dormancy and simply waiting for water. I also remember August being a crucial month. We had a combined rainfall of 100 millimeters, and this truly saved the harvest. There was still time for ripening to restart and carry out. If the rain had come later, the end of the growing season would have been too close, and there wouldn’t have been enough time to get the fruit sufficiently ripe.” All the 2022 Côte-Rôties I tasted left a lasting impression and suggest an almost equally high-quality vintage as 2020. I also adored the 2022 Condrieu La Bonnette, a fragrant and juicy Viognier with plenty of character. Rostaing exports roughly 70% of all his wines, with both the UK and US holding the largest share.

Like most of his colleagues in Côte-Rôtie, Pierre Rostaing faced a challenging 2021 growing season. “We lost half of our crop due to April frosts. Some vineyards were barely touched, while others lost up to 80%. But the frost was also a blessing. As 2021 lacked sunlight, losing half of the crop helped the remaining fruit to ripen. No chaptalization was necessary. The final wine profile reminds me of what we could have seen some time ago, with maturities that are more restrained and around 12-12.5% alcohol,” Rostaing explains. “In 2021, we also rediscovered the whole cluster expression, with a considerable stem presence that enhances the aromatic complexity. These are elements we had somewhat lost in the warmer years.” Taking a closer look at what’s in the glass, Rostaing's three individual Côte-Rôties, Ampodium, La Landonne and Côte Blonde, are indeed all quite stemmy, yet simultaneously polished, spicy and refreshing. They aren’t as ripe and won’t be as long-lived as the surrounding two vintages, but they do offer solid quality and earlier accessibility. Moving on to 2022, Rostaing draws parallels to 2020. “There’s a viticultural perspective of the exceptional drought which I haven’t seen before. In May, some vines shut down, but the vines were quite resilient, going into a sort of dormancy and simply waiting for water. I also remember August being a crucial month. We had a combined rainfall of 100 millimeters, and this truly saved the harvest. There was still time for ripening to restart and carry out. If the rain had come later, the end of the growing season would have been too close, and there wouldn’t have been enough time to get the fruit sufficiently ripe.” All the 2022 Côte-Rôties I tasted left a lasting impression and suggest an almost equally high-quality vintage as 2020. I also adored the 2022 Condrieu La Bonnette, a fragrant and juicy Viognier with plenty of character. Rostaing exports roughly 70% of all his wines, with both the UK and US holding the largest share.

Now under the watch of René Rostaing’s son, Pierre, the quality of the wines here has not missed a beat. Pierre Rostaing shares the same fastidious character, curiosity, wry wit and occasional philosophic traits of his father. A visit here always provides plenty of insight because both Rostaings are strongly opinionated and refreshingly frank when discussing vintages and their likes and dislikes. Fast-talking salesmen they are not. Pierre Rostaing has a clear preference for 2020 over 2019 and 2018, which are powerful and ripe but often missing the elegance of classic Côte-Rôtie, “which is really about finesse, not like, say, Hermitage and Cornas, which are more typically structured and reserved.” Rostaing thinks they should age well on their depth, “but if you like an elegant wine, you will almost certainly be happier with 2020.”

Pierre Rostaing calls 2019 a vintage “that’s marked by lots of perfume” and said that in comparison to 2018, “it’s rich but lively while 2018 is rich and round.” He also said that “because both years were hot and dry, we learned a lot in 2018 that helped us to handle the heat and sun in 2019, especially in the vines but also working on extraction in the cellar. You had to be gentle.”

Now under the watch of René Rostaing’s son, Pierre, the quality of the wines here has not missed a beat. Pierre Rostaing shares the same fastidious character, curiosity, wry wit and occasional philosophic traits of his father. A visit here always provides plenty of insight because both Rostaings are strongly opinionated and refreshingly frank when discussing vintages and their likes and dislikes. Fast-talking salesmen they are not. Pierre Rostaing has a clear preference for 2020 over 2019 and 2018, which are powerful and ripe but often missing the elegance of classic Côte-Rôtie, “which is really about finesse, not like, say, Hermitage and Cornas, which are more typically structured and reserved.” Rostaing thinks they should age well on their depth, “but if you like an elegant wine, you will almost certainly be happier with 2020.”

Pierre Rostaing calls 2019 a vintage “that’s marked by lots of perfume” and said that in comparison to 2018, “it’s rich but lively while 2018 is rich and round.” He also said that “because both years were hot and dry, we learned a lot in 2018 that helped us to handle the heat and sun in 2019, especially in the vines but also working on extraction in the cellar. You had to be gentle.”

Pierre Rostaing, René’s son, is now in charge of the domaine. This was my first visit where Rostaing Sr. wasn’t in attendance for the tasting since my first time here, in July of 1989. René Rostaing is still around, living across the street from the main cellar, “to enjoy watching what happens”, as he told me when he dropped by afterwards for a quick chat. Pierre Rostaing told me he’s most taken by the “expressive perfume and fruit intensity of the 2017s,” which he thinks, coupled with the vintage ripeness and well-knit tannins, will make the wines drinkable on the relatively young side. Two thousand eighteen goes down a somewhat similar path, he thinks, but the wines are showing a brighter character “that can make you think of 2016 a bit.” The biggest new, or relatively new, developments here are the release of two new Côte-Rôtie bottlings, a Viallière, made from vines that were inherited from Pierre’s grandfather, Albert Dervieux-Thaize and a Côte Brune, which comes from vines once owned by his great-uncle, Marius Gentaz-Dervieux. Both wines bear the same labels as those used in the past and they look to be outstanding in both 2018 and 2017.

I had the chance to chat briefly with René Rostaing after my tasting with his son Pierre, who is now in charge, and we realized that it was 31 years ago that we first met, in the extremely tiny cellar beneath his house, which is just across the alley from the domaine’s current, much larger facility. Time does fly. With regard to the 2018 vintage, which I tasted with Pierre, he commented that “it made wines that are rich and round, without the more strict tannins of 2017.” He is particularly happy with “how silky the tannins are, which will appeal to people who like to drink their wines on the fruit,” more so than to those who like the qualities that age brings. The 2017 vintage, on the other hand, “has more underlying structure, even if the fruit is ripe and expressive.” Like most of his colleagues, René Rostaing thinks that most 2018s should be broached before their 2017 siblings, although he has no doubt that “they will age well on their balance if not their power and structure.”

Pierre Rostaing, René’s son, is now in charge of the domaine. This was my first visit where Rostaing Sr. wasn’t in attendance for the tasting since my first time here, in July of 1989. René Rostaing is still around, living across the street from the main cellar, “to enjoy watching what happens”, as he told me when he dropped by afterwards for a quick chat. Pierre Rostaing told me he’s most taken by the “expressive perfume and fruit intensity of the 2017s,” which he thinks, coupled with the vintage ripeness and well-knit tannins, will make the wines drinkable on the relatively young side. Two thousand eighteen goes down a somewhat similar path, he thinks, but the wines are showing a brighter character “that can make you think of 2016 a bit.” The biggest new, or relatively new, developments here are the release of two new Côte-Rôtie bottlings, a Viallière, made from vines that were inherited from Pierre’s grandfather, Albert Dervieux-Thaize and a Côte Brune, which comes from vines once owned by his great-uncle, Marius Gentaz-Dervieux. Both wines bear the same labels as those used in the past and they look to be outstanding in both 2018 and 2017.

Although René Rostaing is officially retired and his 36-year-old son, Pierre, is now fully in charge of the domaine, he still has a presence here, since, as he told me, he lives “just across the street and it’s a small village.” From what I’ve seen, Pierre’s wines, these 2016s being a prime example, show an even greater degree of finesse than those made by his father, which were very elegant themselves. One could understandably attribute that to the general character of the 2016 vintage, but I also saw it come through in the 2017s and 2018s that I tasted from barrel before going through the 2016s. If Rostaing wasn’t on your shopping list before – and it should have been – then it really ought to be on there now.

René Rostaing tells me he thinks of 2016 as "the definition of Côte-Rôtie. The vintage personality is made of finesse, freshness and detail, with power but not weight." He finds the wines to be "fine but not delicate, or fragile at all" and thinks they will age gracefully "but be attractive throughout their lives, without ever really closing up." While Rostaing respects 2015 for its "depth, power and structure" he believes “2016 to be a truer Côte-Rôtie vintage" because of the aforementioned freshness and elegance, attributes that "make the appellation unique in the northern Rhône." Rostaing adds "ripe vintages may make impressive wines but too often they obscure terroir and finesse." Note that because of the quality of the 2016 vintage Rostaing made the La Viallière bottling for the first time since 1986. Up until now all of the fruit went into the Ampodium. There is also a '16 Côte-Brune, which had only been bottled by itself in 2013.

In the view of René Rostaing, who is a longtime and highly vocal proponent of graceful Côte-Rôtie, 2015 is a vintage "more for its impact, for its power, than for elegance." While he readily admits that the wines are impressive for their force and weight, he doubts that they will ever attain a sense of finesse, which, he said, “is what makes Côte-Rôtie special and differentiates it from Hermitage and Cornas.” Rostaing noted that “the tannins are very ripe, so you don't have a hard edge to make the wines unattractive when they are young," and said that he's hopeful that as the youthful fruit of the '15s tones down, the wines will "show their origin more than their vintage." But for now, he said, "they are more reflective of 2015 than they are of their place."

The always opinionated René Rostaing said that while 2015 isn't his idea of a classic northern Rhône vintage, "you can't deny its quality, despite how rich and mostly atypical the wines are." He noted that he personally prefers vintages "with more energetic fruit and floral character, more minerality" than was possible in a hot vintage like 2015, or 2009, for that matter. Rostaing, who professes to seek "transparency" above all else with his wines, thinks that vintages that are overlooked for their relative lack of ripeness and weight "are often more indicative of their terroirs than the solar vintages, which are more about the grape and even the winemaker than the place."

Because of the frighteningly low yields (40% of normal) at Côte-Rôtie in 2014, René Rostaing opted to make a single bottling, his entry-level Ampodium, but "not because of a lack of quality," he said. "On the contrary, it's a very good vintage," one that he compares to 2006. To illustrate his point, Rostaing opened a bottle of his '06 Côte Blonde at the conclusion of our tasting. It is showing impressive finesse and detail, displaying lively red and dark berry character and suave finishing florality. It's just hitting its drinking window, in my opinion, but Rostaing says it's fully ready to drink, adding that he has "always preferred to err on the side of youth when drinking any red wine. When they get old, even if they're from a great terroir and a great vintage, they've mostly lost their distinction and just taste like really good aged red wine." When I reminded him that he told me the same thing when I first visited here in July 1989, he laughed and said that he likes to be consistent and isn't quick to change his opinions. He also pointed out that "7%, maybe 8% new oak is the rule here, and no oak for Condrieu, because the goal is purity and elegance, and wood is a distraction."

"A year of strong floral character and fresh fruit" is René Rostaing's synopsis of 2012, a vintage that he believes is a showcase for the classic attributes of Côte-Rôtie as well as Condrieu. As a self-professed "guardian of tradition and servant of the soil," as he semi-jokingly referred to himself, such vintages please him enormously. As much as he loves 2010, which he says is one of the great vintages of his career, it's "a vintage of the vintage as much as of the place" and he told me that he's happy that such years are rare. Rostaing feels pretty much the same way about 2013 but he calls it a "really excellent vintage for Condrieu, with power as well as grace." And while he's no fan of the rich school of viognier ("far from it," as he put it), he told me that "it's great to see how wines with richness can also be elegant, and that's what happened in '13."

"A year of strong floral character and fresh fruit" is René Rostaing's synopsis of 2012, a vintage that he believes is a showcase for the classic attributes of Côte-Rôtie as well as Condrieu. As a self-professed "guardian of tradition and servant of the soil," as he semi-jokingly referred to himself, such vintages please him enormously. As much as he loves 2010, which he says is one of the great vintages of his career, it's "a vintage of the vintage as much as of the place" and he told me that he's happy that such years are rare. Rostaing feels pretty much the same way about 2013 but he calls it a "really excellent vintage for Condrieu, with power as well as grace." And while he's no fan of the rich school of viognier ("far from it," as he put it), he told me that "it's great to see how wines with richness can also be elegant, and that's what happened in '13."

Those familiar with Rene Rostaing's personal tastes and opinions on what defines great Cote-Rotie shouldn't be surprised that he prefers his 2011s to his 2009s, which he attributes to his love of "wines of clarity and finesse more than power and ripeness." As he routinely points out, "the true character and heritage of Cote-Rotie is elegance, and years like 2009 and 2003 are too marked by the sun to allow that to occur." He thinks that one of the major attributes of 2011 is the fact that the wines "are expressive now and also balanced to age gracefully," adding that he'll be surprised if they ever shut down during their evolution because "the tannins are so harmonious with the fruit." Two thousand ten is Rostaing's personal benchmark for quality, "probably of all time," and he told me that while 2012 will eventually also rate highly in his personal book, "it can't approach 2010, except maybe in the Cote Blonde, where the wines are more elegant and less masculine than those of the Cote Brune."

Those familiar with Rene Rostaing's personal tastes and opinions on what defines great Cote-Rotie shouldn't be surprised that he prefers his 2011s to his 2009s, which he attributes to his love of "wines of clarity and finesse more than power and ripeness."As he routinely points out, "the true character and heritage of Cote-Rotie is elegance, and years like 2009 and 2003 are too marked by the sun to allow that to occur."He thinks that one of the major attributes of 2011 is the fact that the wines "are expressive now and also balanced to age gracefully," adding that he'll be surprised if they ever shut down during their evolution because "the tannins are so harmonious with the fruit."Two thousand ten is Rostaing's personal benchmark for quality, "probably of all time," and he told me that while 2012 will eventually also rate highly in his personal book, "it can't approach 2010, except maybe in the Cote Blonde, where the wines are more elegant and less masculine than those of the Cote Brune."

According to Rene Rostaing, "there was a good distribution of rain across the season in 2011--no deluge, no drought, quite uniform."There also wasn't too much heat "and ripeness occurred smoothly and evenly across the vineyards, so you can't say that one Cote was favored over another, like in most years."Rostaing calls 2011 "a vintage that's a lot like 2006 or 2004, with good tension and a style that will appeal to the vrai amateur de Cote-Rotie, not people looking for flamboyant wines."For them he highly recommends the 2009s, which he says show the power that Cote-Rotie can achieve while retaining finesse.Like a number of his colleagues, he refers to 2009 as "a year of the year," while 2010 is "a year of the place."Drawing comparisons of the three most recent vintages, he summed things up this way:"2010 is a perfect balance of sun and terroir, 2009 is more about sun, and 2011 is more about terroir.That's why 2010 is the great one."Rostaing's 2011 Condrieu shows its typical freshness and energy, a fact attributable to a blocked malo, which he uses "because you must preserve as much acidity as possible with viognier; when it's flat, it's a completely uninteresting variety."

According to Rene Rostaing, "there was a good distribution of rain across the season in 2011--no deluge, no drought, quite uniform."There also wasn't too much heat "and ripeness occurred smoothly and evenly across the vineyards, so you can't say that one Cote was favored over another, like in most years."Rostaing calls 2011 "a vintage that's a lot like 2006 or 2004, with good tension and a style that will appeal to the vrai amateur de Cote-Rotie, not people looking for flamboyant wines."For them he highly recommends the 2009s, which he says show the power that Cote-Rotie can achieve while retaining finesse.Like a number of his colleagues, he refers to 2009 as "a year of the year," while 2010 is "a year of the place."Drawing comparisons of the three most recent vintages, he summed things up this way:"2010 is a perfect balance of sun and terroir, 2009 is more about sun, and 2011 is more about terroir.That's why 2010 is the great one."Rostaing's 2011 Condrieu shows its typical freshness and energy, a fact attributable to a blocked malo, which he uses "because you must preserve as much acidity as possible with viognier; when it's flat, it's a completely uninteresting variety."

Rene Rostaing told me that he thought the sweet spot for Cote-Rotie in 2010, which he calls "a great, great vintage," was the southern sector of the appellation, especially in Tupin-Semons."The fruit was able to be harvested late when the tannins were fine and mature but the acidity was still strong, which is the magic moment for syrah," he said.Above all things, Rostaing values tension in his wines, which is why 2010 has so much appeal for him.All of Rostaing's wines are made and matured in the same way "because that's the only way that you can truly see terroir.When you raise the wines differently, then how can you really discern the differences aside from the elevage?"

Rene Rostaing told me that he thought the sweet spot for Cote-Rotie in 2010, which he calls "a great, great vintage," was the southern sector of the appellation, especially in Tupin-Semons. "The fruit was able to be harvested late when the tannins were fine and mature but the acidity was still strong, which is the magic moment for syrah," he said. Above all things, Rostaing values tension in his wines, which is why 2010 has so much appeal for him. All of Rostaing's wines are made and matured in the same way "because that's the only way that you can truly see terroir. When you raise the wines differently, then how can you really discern the differences aside from the elevage?"

"Two thousand nine reminds me a lot of 2005, but with less tannic structure, maybe more like 1999," Rene Rostaing told me. "The wines are rich but supple, with good tannins, but they're round, polished, and not as hard as the '05s." Rostaing loves to point out that Cote-Rotie has always been prized for elegance rather than power, and he told me this year that "what's really interesting is that they can taste good at all ages-unlike, for example, Hermitage or Cornas, where the wines really need age to shed their structure. Cote-Rotie should be deep in flavor but not heavy, which makes it work really well with food," he concluded. Rostaing bottled a single Cote-Rotie from 2008, making the decision "not without a lot of thought. I was happy with the quality and the brightness of the cuvees but just not quite happy enough." He sold off almost all of the juice that would usually make up the classique, so the '08 wine is based heavily on fruit from his best sites. The result is a very nice wine, one that is far better than the 2002 and 1997, the only other years in which Rostaing has blended his top wines into a "regular" Cote-Rotie.

"Not a great vintage but by no means a disaster," said Rene Rostaing about 2008. "The wines have good typicite but aren't powerful; they're very different from any other year. Maybe a bit like 1996 in their acidity, and I like their clarity. But they will have to be drunk young before they lose their fruit and the acidity takes over." As for 2007, says Rostaing, "it's a true Cote-Rotie vintage. The wines are graceful, elegant and very spicy. They'll live a long time on their balance." Rostaing repeated his disdain for overoaked wines, telling me that "new oak makes everything taste the same-as if the wine could have come from anywhere and have been made with any grape, or maybe even not from grapes. How would you know?" He also told me that he will never subject his Condrieu to oak "because Condrieu should be about purity of expression and finesse, and what could kill that faster than the vanilla and spice of wood?"

"Not a great vintage but by no means a disaster," said Rene Rostaing about 2008. "The wines have good typicite but aren't powerful; they're very different from any other year. Maybe a bit like 1996 in their acidity, and I like their clarity. But they will have to be drunk young before they lose their fruit and the acidity takes over." As for 2007, says Rostaing, "it's a true Cote-Rotie vintage. The wines are graceful, elegant and very spicy. They'll live a long time on their balance." Rostaing repeated his disdain for overoaked wines, telling me that "new oak makes everything taste the same-as if the wine could have come from anywhere and have been made with any grape, or maybe even not from grapes. How would you know?" He also told me that he will never subject his Condrieu to oak "because Condrieu should be about purity of expression and finesse, and what could kill that faster than the vanilla and spice of wood?"

"For my style 2007 is a great vintage, with healthy yields," Rene Rostaing told me. "It is very typical and delivers exactly what I look for in Cote-Rotie, which is balance and elegance and not super-richness. The wines have plenty of tannins but they aren't hard, so they will age well but be approachable soon after release. They are Cote-Roties as they should be," he concluded. On the subject of 2005, Rostaing pointed out that his yields were only about 28 hectoliters per hectare ("35 is the perfect yield"), and that the concentrated, powerful personalities of these wines demand that they be cellared longer than usual. He also told me that he is loath to use more than 10% new oak for his wines because "it's impossible to have subtlety with too much new oak. "

"For my style 2007 is a great vintage, with healthy yields," Rene Rostaing told me. "It is very typical and delivers exactly what I look for in Cote-Rotie, which is balance and elegance and not super-richness. The wines have plenty of tannins but they aren't hard, so they will age well but be approachable soon after release. They are Cote-Roties as they should be," he concluded. On the subject of 2005, Rostaing pointed out that his yields were only about 28 hectoliters per hectare ("35 is the perfect yield"), and that the concentrated, powerful personalities of these wines demand that they be cellared longer than usual. He also told me that he is loath to use more than 10% new oak for his wines because "it's impossible to have subtlety with too much new oak. "

"Demi-muids are the ideal vessel for syrah-and for pinot noir as well," Rostaing told me. "But everybody wants to use barriques because they are all the mode. And the mode is, well, the mode. Eh." He is a big fan of 2006: "They are like 2004 in structure, and I love that vintage. Both years gave wines with elegant tannins, which is what Cote-Rotie is supposed to be. The only problem with 2006 is that it came after 2005, which is the vintage everybody wants." As for those 2005s, "they will easily go for 20 years but I prefer to drink my wines on the younger side, after about 6 or 7 years, so that the sap of the terroir is distinct." He then reiterated his long-held belief that "the older wines get, the more they start to taste alike."

When I commented to Rene Rostaing that tastes in the U. S. seem to be shifting toward more elegant and less exaggerated wines he lamented that "here in France, tastes are getting extreme. "Long-time followers of Rostaing's wines will be pleased by the 2004s and 2005s from this reliable producer, and should also start saving up for his 2006s, which Rostaing considers to be more elegant than 2005, which he describes as "a block, a mass. "That said, the 2005s here, from low yields in the 32 ha/hl range, are superb, with impressively deep fruit, harmonious tannins and very good balance. As Rostaing pointed out, "that's what you should expect from Cote-Rotie, after all. "Rostaing has been a fan of his 2004s from the beginning. "They are wonderfully balanced and don't tire you out," he told me-an obvious reference to the richer, more extracted style of wine that he wishes to avoid.

When I commented to Rene Rostaing that tastes in the U. S. seem to be shifting toward more elegant and less exaggerated wines he lamented that "here in France, tastes are getting extreme. "Long-time followers of Rostaing's wines will be pleased by the 2004s and 2005s from this reliable producer, and should also start saving up for his 2006s, which Rostaing considers to be more elegant than 2005, which he describes as "a block, a mass. "That said, the 2005s here, from low yields in the 32 ha/hl range, are superb, with impressively deep fruit, harmonious tannins and very good balance. As Rostaing pointed out, "that's what you should expect from Cote-Rotie, after all. "Rostaing has been a fan of his 2004s from the beginning. "They are wonderfully balanced and don't tire you out," he told me-an obvious reference to the richer, more extracted style of wine that he wishes to avoid.

There is too much emphasis on concentration and power today." stated Rostaing."Freshness is the true character of Cote-Rotie."In fact, Rostaing is obsessed with making clean wines with mineral animal character.He consistently produces clear-cut, juicy wines that are seductive in their youth but concentrated enough for positive development in bottle.Two thousand four looks to be a solid vintage here, as the young wines are rich and textured but also precise.Rostaing, by the way, is one of many producers who prefers to show his white wines after the reds, in the belief that it is preferable to follow tannin with acidity.

There is too much emphasis on concentration and power today." stated Rostaing."Freshness is the true character of Cote-Rotie."In fact, Rostaing is obsessed with making clean wines with mineral animal character.He consistently produces clear-cut, juicy wines that are seductive in their youth but concentrated enough for positive development in bottle.Two thousand four looks to be a solid vintage here, as the young wines are rich and textured but also precise.Rostaing, by the way, is one of many producers who prefers to show his white wines after the reds, in the belief that it is preferable to follow tannin with acidity.

Rostaing describes the 2003 growing season as "a completely crazy year," in which he made half a normal crop due to spring frost and the summer heat wave. It was also his first August harvest ever, yet his fruit reached 14% potential alcohol. Rostaing emphasized this year that he uses exactly the same vinification and elevage for all of his Cote-Rotie cuvees in order to preserve differences of terroir. "If you change anything, where is the terroir?" he asks. Still, as he did with the young '99s, Rostaing questions whether the 2003s will ever be typical examples of Cote-Rotie. But he admitted that it was too early to judge this freakish vintage. I have included notes on Rostaing's superb 2001s, which were not yet in the U.S. market when I covered this vintage in Issue 112.

Rostaing describes the 2003 growing season as "a completely crazy year," in which he made half a normal crop due to spring frost and the summer heat wave. It was also his first August harvest ever, yet his fruit reached 14% potential alcohol. Rostaing emphasized this year that he uses exactly the same vinification and elevage for all of his Cote-Rotie cuvees in order to preserve differences of terroir. "If you change anything, where is the terroir?" he asks. Still, as he did with the young '99s, Rostaing questions whether the 2003s will ever be typical examples of Cote-Rotie. But he admitted that it was too early to judge this freakish vintage. I have included notes on Rostaing's superb 2001s, which were not yet in the U.S. market when I covered this vintage in Issue 112.

Rostaing describes 2001 as a good traditional year forx000D Cote-Rotie, with nicely balanced wines. The 2000s are also fine, balanced, typical Cote-Roties. The difference is that 2000 is like ax000D well-educated, well-brought-up gentleman, while the more rustic 2001 is like ax000D man wearing big shoes and no tie." Rostaing continues to describe his extremely rich 1999s as "vinsx000D Australiennes," powerful and alcoholic but not at all typical of theirx000D appellation. Rostaing advised drinkingx000D both the 2001s and 2000s after five or six years. I like wines with fruit and life and sap," he toldx000D me. I have lots of old wines inx000D my cellar but I'm always reaching for the younger bottles."

Rostaing describes 2001 as a good traditional year forx000D Cote-Rotie, with nicely balanced wines. The 2000s are also fine, balanced, typical Cote-Roties. The difference is that 2000 is like ax000D well-educated, well-brought-up gentleman, while the more rustic 2001 is like ax000D man wearing big shoes and no tie." Rostaing continues to describe his extremely rich 1999s as "vinsx000D Australiennes," powerful and alcoholic but not at all typical of theirx000D appellation. Rostaing advised drinkingx000D both the 2001s and 2000s after five or six years. I like wines with fruit and life and sap," he toldx000D me. I have lots of old wines inx000D my cellar but I'm always reaching for the younger bottles."

Always dramatic, Rene Rostaing went on at length about how the 1999 vintage went over the top for Cote-Rotie. "Freshness and sap is the definition of Cote-Rotie," he began. "But the '99s here are very powerful, very alcoholic and completely atypical. They're fine if you don't care whether they taste like Cote-Rotie. They're very commercial, too commercial. Today's market loves this style; they love rich, powerful wines that can be tasted with the big syrahs from Australia. But in 10 or 15 years, the '99s will be more standardized, not less, and even less identifiable as Cote-Rotie." Rostaing has not yet bottled his '99 Landonne, and once he does he plans to hold it for several years before releasing it, owing to its savage tannins. The 2000 vintage, says Rostaing, "expresses the sap and finesse of Cote-Rotie more successfully; it respects the terroir and the variety." Despite carrying out a green harvest in July of 2000, Rostaing still produced a healthy 38 hectoliters per hectare. But the wines are plenty ripe, he notes: between 12.5% and 13% alcohol without chaptalization.

Rostaing, a reliably frank producer who knows exactly what great Cote-Rotie should taste like even if weather conditions don't allow him to produce it every year, describes his '99s as too rich and too high in alcohol to be classic Cote-Roties. "They're a more southern style of wine, more like Chateauneuf du Pape. Right now I feel that if they didn't say Cote-Rotie on the label, I would never guess what they were." At the time of my visit, Rostaing was considering bottling the '99s later than usual, perhaps after the harvest of 2001, in the hopes that they would become "more Cote-Rotie-like" with longer levage Incidentally, after including the juice from his Viaillere holding in his 1998 cuvee classique due to the tiny size of the crop, Rostaing has decided to do this every year in order to give greater depth to his basic bottling. These very old petit serine vines produce very irregular crop levels, and thus Rostaing was not in the position to assure an adequate allocation of La Viaillere to his regular importers. Don't miss Rostaing splendid '98s.

Rostaing, a reliably frank producer who knows exactly what great Cote-Rotie should taste like even if weather conditions don't allow him to produce it every year, describes his '99s as too rich and too high in alcohol to be classic Cote-Roties. "They're a more southern style of wine, more like Chateauneuf du Pape. Right now I feel that if they didn't say Cote-Rotie on the label, I would never guess what they were." At the time of my visit, Rostaing was considering bottling the '99s later than usual, perhaps after the harvest of 2001, in the hopes that they would become "more Cote-Rotie-like" with longer levage Incidentally, after including the juice from his Viaillere holding in his 1998 cuvee classique due to the tiny size of the crop, Rostaing has decided to do this every year in order to give greater depth to his basic bottling. These very old petit serine vines produce very irregular crop levels, and thus Rostaing was not in the position to assure an adequate allocation of La Viaillere to his regular importers. Don't miss Rostaing splendid '98s.

Rostaing has a stunning set of '98s in the works, perhaps his best since the '91s. He describes the '98s as firm wines characterized by licorice and animal notes, not quite as supple as the '91s. Rostaing removed only 50% of the stems in '98 because the stems were ripe; this, he notes, has given them an aspect un peu plus traditionnel. There will be no Viaillere bottling in '98; the tiny quantity of fruit produced by these very old vines will be included in the cuvee classique. Incidentally, Rostaing assembled his three 1997 crus and about 60% of his cuvee classique into a single bottling of '97 Cote-Rotie. The extreme heat during the second half of August blocked the maturing of the grapes in his best terroirs explained Rostaing, who felt he could offer a better-balanced wine by assembling his lots.

Rostaing describes 1997 as a year with low acidity and moderate ripeness: warm wines in a distinctly southern style. The heat of August resulted in a slight blockage of grape maturity while burning off much of the malic acidity. The malolactic fermentations took place quite early. Partly for this reason, the '97 Cote-Roties lacked some typicity early on, but Rostaing is confident that much of their typical character will return with further levage and subsequent bottle aging. Rostaing '96s are among the best of the appellation. "A good year with good balance, marked by its acidity," is how Rostaing describes the earlier vintage.