2018 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne Domaine Rostaing

There is a good sense of freshness to the aromatics here - juniper and a touch of black pepper, with a dense tannic base, very plush in texture, with exceptional finesse. It has a long finish and no excessive alcohol. A relatively fruity and approachable La Landonne this year. The winemaking at Domaine Rostaing is now in the hands of René's son Pierre, and it follows the same format for all the Côte-Rôties: four weeks in tank, 18 months in oak, limited new oak, natural yeasts, and as many stems as possible - 100% in this case. Picked around 6th Sept, early for the appellation. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040.

The 2018 Côte Rôtie La Landonne offers the classic meaty, mineral, and masculine style that's the hallmark of this terroir. It's powerful and full-bodied, with massive minerality as well as notes of bloody meat, ground pepper, and graphite. It's another serious, concentrated, powerful 2018 that's going to demand bottle age.

For the 2018 Cote Rotie la Landonne, Pierre Rostaing put together a blend from two barrels. Wow. Toast and mocha notes frame raspberries and blueberries in this medium to full- bodied offering. It's simultaneously rich, silky and concentrated. Packed with flavor and depth, it looks as if it will be approachable within a couple of years yet be capable of evolving for a couple of decades.

Ripe, smoke-tinged dark berries and pungent floral scents are brightened by building mineral and spice flourishes. Spicy and impressively concentrated on the palate, offering energetic blackberry and violet pastille flavors, along with exotic spice and cracked pepper nuances. Fleshes out with air while maintaining vivacity, and finishes extremely long and chewy, displaying excellent clarity, steadily mounting tannins and suave florality.

Seductive up front, with dark currant and blackberry details that have melded with licorice root, sweet bay leaf, dark olive and tar accents. The finish is grippy, but has cut and drive, thanks to an iron note and nicely embedded acidity. Best from 2023 through 2035.