Who is your favourite Cote-Rotie producer and why?

[Comte Flaneur]

I am a big fan of Cote Rotie and I should drink more of it. All the discussion on Levet got me thinking. I bought some 2005 Peroline at auction over a year ago and they have been pretty good but pretty big and structured, with plenty of time in hand. I also have some 2013 Maestria in storage. This producer is still somewhat of a work in progress for me.

It is difficult not to love Jamet, and I have had some fabulous older La-Las from the early 1980s. I had a 1985 La Mouline standing up for Patrick but we never got round to drinking it. But I am a bit uneasy with the oak treatment and have had mixed experiences with younger vintages. Some of the best Cote Roties I have drunk have been Jasmins from the 1980s. Just exceptional.

But if I had to pick one producer that is my favourite it would probably be Yves Gangloff. The wines veer Burgundian and tick all boxes.

[Blanquito]

Great subject, one I would like to learn more about...

I must say, as much as I love the northern Rhone, I don’t drink them very often either... and I tend to have better luck with Cornas (which is really is my stylistic sweet spot) than Cote Rotie, also St Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage comprise most of my Rhônes... Levet is my favorite Cote Rotie, but it’s not an ‘easy’ wine I agree. It’s been a few years, but I found the 05 Chavaroche still quite closed up when I had it last... I have had some wonderful Jamet C-R, mostly courtesy of Howard, but they lack a little soul for me, showcasing the prettier side of syrah rather than the sauvage character I prefer... I’ve never had a Gangloff, but I will try some (if for the wonderful name alone!)... I know Chapoutier isn’t cool anymore, but I have had some flat out terrific Mordorees from the 80’s and 90’s and I’ve found his St Joseph-Granits bottling (both red and wine) usually delivers, at least up through the 06 vintage... One of my greatest wine coups ever was finding a case of the 1990 Jaboulet Thalabert Crozes in 2012 for $45 a bottle; I’m down to 2-3 left, and I’ve loved the whole case so far... the best value in the northern Rhone in my book is Faury— never had their Cote Rotie but their VV bottling of St Joseph is really damn good and cost as little as ~$35 for the 2016 vintage...

[OrlandoRobert]

Great thread. I’m with Pat, Cornas is my sweet spot. Clape was my Northern Rhône epiphany wine back in the 1990s. My faves are Allemand, Juge and Clape.

On Cote Rotie, my regular buys are:

1. Jamet - I put Jamet at the top spot. Getting pricy but gorgeous stuff. Balanced and savory. The 1998 and 99 vintages are exceptions, like 97+ point great. If you do not own it, get the 2010 and 2013. I still need to grab some 2016.

2. Levet - A toss-up whether I own more of this or Gonon, but lots of both. Probably one of the most distinct, soulful, medieval wines made in the Rhône region. Think rusty iron, brine, blood orange, seared meats, iodine, stems, et al. Like the Islay Malt of Cote Rotie. I love it. Even performs well in so-called off-vintages. I’m sure Vikings would drink this.

3. Champet - An old school classic along the lines of Levet.

4. Benetiere - Gorgeous, lithe, red-fruited, high-toned, savory. Just grabbed some 2017s. The 2015 vintage is variable.

5. Gerard - A relatively new producer that is making his mark. I will admit to it leaning more modern than the four above but it still remains rooted in the classics. A beefier, meatier and slightly glossier style. At the price, it’s a great QPR. Gerard makes an excellent St Joe as well, the Blanchard cuvée. I generally get them both, just got in my 2019 St Joe’s and picked up some 2017 Cote Rotie.

Not a fan at all of the LaLas are anything Guigal or Chapoutier. Meh.

[jal]

Jasmin
But it gets really bad press, it lacks the concentration and power of the others. It is however the most perfumed, friendly and approachable of them all. Basically the same personality as Patrick Jasmin the winemaker and owner, lol.

Levet and Jamet are next but they need time and are sometimes a bit too structured and concentrated for me. They are pure, focused and clean but I like the perfume of Jasmin's better

Just after are Garon and Faury. A good balance but should be better.

I loved the Gangloff La Barbarine but only had it twice. It's not easy to find

I had a Rostaing Landonne years ago that was very reticent, I have refused to buy more of it after that.

The LaLas need decades to shed their oak, also their price is ridiculous.

Cornas is a different animal altogether. So are Hermitage, Crozes and St Joseph.

[s*d*r]

What does Cornas taste like compared with other Northern Rhône?

[OrlandoRobert]

What does Cornas taste like compared with other Northern Rhône?

Generally speaking, I would say more brooding, meatier, darker, more powerful.

But then you have Allemand and Juge, which are so damn elegant, Burdgundian.

[AKR]

the best value in the northern Rhone in my book is Faury— never had their Cote Rotie but their VV bottling of St Joseph is really damn good and cost as little as ~$35 for the 2016 vintage...

Faury's 2015 Cote Rotie is super....BillP poured us some a while back...although young seems to have lots of upside.

I think if a C-R is getting all the way to the US, its hard for it to be bad. I think the bigger constraint is really what is available in one's local market, or via shipping if possible.

[AKR]

What does Cornas taste like compared with other Northern Rhône?

Generally speaking, I would say more brooding, meatier, darker, more powerful.

But then you have Allemand and Juge, which are so damn elegant, Burdgundian.

There can be some blood, iron notes too. Almost no one on any side of my family can tolerate Cornas, or really any No.Rho.

It's an AOC I have to wait for either a visit with enthusiasts, or drink by myself over a weekend or something.

[jal]

What does Cornas taste like compared with other Northern Rhône?

Technically, Côte Rôtie producers can add up to 20% Viognier to the Syrah in their blend. In reality, most up just 1-5%, but that is what makes the wine more aromatic and seductive

Both Cornas and Côte Rôtie vines grow on steep hills, though Cornas is a much steeper appellation, it makes for more structured wines. I usually get feral and meaty notes in Cornas. I almost never get olive tapenade notes in Côte Rôtie but do get those in Cornas (and other Northern Rhône appellation wines)

Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, Allemand, Clape and the older Noël Verset Cornas were almost Burgundian in their nature. Jamet’s Cote Rôtie are quite deep and meaty.

[SF Ed]

My favorite Cote Rotie producer is/was Gentaz, but that's not really fair (he stopped making wine in the early 90s). Also the wines now on the secondary market are stupid expensive (like thousands a bottle).

I also like Jamet a lot, but the pricing is very high.

On the more practical/affordable front, I like Chambeyron-Manin and have high hopes for recent Champet and Parpette I've laid down. I like Cote Rotie that both has depth of fruit and floral elements. I tend not to like the over-oaked Guigal style, although they can come together in the long run.

As others have also stated, Cornas is also a great Northern Rhone region for Syrah. Clape is fantastic, as is Allemand. All fully discovered and unfortunately fully priced.

SF Ed

[OrlandoRobert]

Gentaz is a dream wine. I’ve had many unicorns but that and Jayer have escaped me.

[AKR]

On the more practical/affordable front, I like Chambeyron-Manin and have high hopes for recent Champet and Parpette I've laid down. I like Cote Rotie that both has depth of fruit and floral elements. I tend not to like the over-oaked Guigal style, although they can come together in the long run.

SF Ed

Although I am generally a fan of everything Guigal puts out up and down the valley, I would make an exception for their entry point Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde. I laid down 99 and 03 of that, and they never turned into anything special. I think I have some other recent years, and have tempered my expectations. Poor value as well so I ignore those now.

It's a difficult wine to find, but Cote Rotie vigneron Rene Rostaing also makes a Languedoc wine called Puech Noble, that is like a baby Cote Rotie. Surprisingly that syrah can age too. There are many other estates with 'Puech' in the name, so be alert if hunting for it.

[Nicklasss]

Count me as a big Côte Rôtie fan. I think i never had a Côte Rôtie that was an entire deception, they always have something good. As for producers, even if i did not had their wines often, i would tend to say that Mathilde and Yves Gangloff produce what i would call a perfect complex and full of elegance Côte Rôtie, very genuine to the AOP. My favorite producer, but tough to find and get.

Jamet would be a close second, in a very traditionnal Côte Rôtie way, that need a few years to show it's best.

In the past, I really liked the organic wines from Jean-Michel Stephan, the classic style of Gilles Barge or Patrick Jasmin.

Pierre Gaillard Côte Rôtie is widely available here, every vintage, and i would consider it very good for the affordable price.

In the négociant, Nicolas Perrin does a very good one.

Levet is harder to find here, but is very influenced by the terroir with austere minerals. Garon very concentrated and slightly modern style, a bit like Jean-Michel Gérin.

Clusel-Roch is not the most concentrated, but again complexity and finesse all the way.

Vernay Côte Rôtie are very nice too, in a concentrated and not too oaky style, more fruity and spicy that mineral.

I would agree that with the years, Guigal basic cuvée became more and more "internationalized" in style, with more oak vanilla. The Lala are very expensive for what they are, or for the time you have to wait for them to integrated the heavy oak.

It has been a long time since my last Chapoutier, and i remember that the basic cuvée was ok, but the Hermitage Monier de Sizeranne was better for approximately the same price. Same for Rostaing, it has been even longer that i can't remember well.

For Cornas, i would agree these are more masculine wines vs Côte Rôtie, with more olives, coal, creosote character.

[AKR]

That is pretty amazing that the local monopoly has such a swath of these producers.

[Harry C.]

My favorite is Guigal. I could smell La Mouline for days. For a classic take, I haven't seen Gallet mentioned. Classic bacon fat in the nose.

[Dandersson]

I don't often drink Cote Rotie due to it being pricy. I am more of a Hermitage/Cornas guy for that amount of money. Loved the Ermite and La Pavillion from Chapoutier from the 90s (As well as Monier de la Sizeranne). But these wines are now way away from my price range. St Joseph/Cornas big fan of Alain Voge. Crozes Hermitage: Chapoutier, Ferraton, Jaboulet, A Graillot.

Best, Dan

[Blanquito]

Just bought a Gallet Cote Rotie to try, never had one but it’s gets some high praise.

[Nicklasss]

Just bought a Gallet Cote Rotie to try, never had one but it’s gets some high praise.

If it is the Côte Rôtie made by François Villard, it is an excellent slightly black pepper minerally rustic syrah, with good fruit too. Which vintage?

I picked up my 2018 Rostaing Ampodium today, what makes me happy. What a simple guy am I!

[Blanquito]

Just bought a Gallet Cote Rotie to try, never had one but it’s gets some high praise.

If it is the Côte Rôtie made by François Villard, it is an excellent slightly black pepper minerally rustic syrah, with good fruit too. Which vintage?

It was a different one, Domaine Gallet from 2012. Here’s the label from the 2010.

[Comte Flaneur]

Had a nice dinner last night at La Trompette in West London where we drank the 2005 Levet Peroline Cote Rotie. It was excellent even when the temperature went below 40F - we ate outside as my friend is paranoid about Covid:

[DavidG]

Can’t pick just one.
Jamet
Ogier
Guigal

They push all the right smell and taste buttons for me when appropriately aged. But they’ve become awfully expensive. I have less experience with Levet and Gerard than the above but they have become more affordable stand-ins.

[NoahR]

I am -shocked- that no one has mentioned Gilles Barge in this conversation.

Did a horizontal tasting of 98’s a few years ago including most of the “biggies” mentioned in this thread. The Barge was among the best. Was thrilled to get a few bottles from Lyle Fass 3y back and they have been among the most aromatically beguiling syrahs I’ve ever had.

The newer wines were made by Julien Barge and after 2016 the domaine reverted to his name. Fairly consistently wonderful, IMHO.

Also, as a point of reference, I love Jamet, Gonn and Levet just like Bobby A., and find the LaLa’s to be oakbombs and a precursor to the dreck that is known as Sine Qua Non, following the evolution (devolution?) of Parker’s tastes…

[Harry C.]

In my post I meant Henri Gallet, not the Villard one. And how could I forget Ogier?

[OrlandoRobert]

I am -shocked- that no one has mentioned Gilles Barge in this conversation.

Did a horizontal tasting of 98’s a few years ago including most of the “biggies” mentioned in this thread. The Barge was among the best. Was thrilled to get a few bottles from Lyle Fass 3y back and they have been among the most aromatically beguiling syrahs I’ve ever had.

The newer wines were made by Julien Barge and after 2016 the domaine reverted to his name. Fairly consistently wonderful, IMHO.

Also, as a point of reference, I love Jamet, Gonn and Levet just like Bobby A., and find the LaLa’s to be oakbombs and a precursor to the dreck that is known as Sine Qua Non, following the evolution (devolution?) of Parker’s tastes…

Thanks for posting this, I really do need to circle back to try more Barge!

[Nicklasss]

Come on Noah, i talked about Barge in my first post. And agree, a great stylish Côte Rôtie.

Domaine Gallet is extremely traditional in style, compared to Villard's Gallet Côte Rôtie. Like drinking a young 1950 wine.

[Comte Flaneur]

Gilles Barges Cote Rotie is old school and can be inspiring. The 1991s I had were good, so are his 2004s, which I own.

But the 2001 and 2011 Du Plessy, which I also own, have been mixed. In fact the 2011s have been a let down. I hope time will weave its magic. But I am not sure with this example.

But the greatest vintage of Cote Rotie of all time is 2015?

An unfashionable name, most famed for his whites: Yves Cuilleron: try his 2015 Cote Rotie Bonnivieres. Magical.