2019 Côte-Rôtie Les Essartailles

While both 2019s and 2020s were highly successful at Les Vins de Vienne, I slightly prefer the 2020s because of their more energetic personalities overall. That’s not to say that the 2019s are ponderous; far from it. Readers who like powerful wines will likely prefer the 2019s and even the 2018s, which were also highly successful. Les Vins de Vienne’s range of wines is vast and includes bottlings from every appellation in the Northern Rhône, plus a number in the southern sector. These have always been forward, polished wines, but the style has become more restrained and cellar-worthy over the last five years. These 2020s will definitely age nicely on their energy, and the 2019s on their depth.