Critics Ratings

‘Nearly 20-years-old now, but still remarkably darkly coloured. It has an incredible smoky, spicy nose, firework smoke and smoked duck - a gathering of every imaginable wood smoke! Medium-bodied, very soft and silky with lovely acidity - very fresh. Smoked sausage on the palate, a dill pickle twang and a balsamic, herbal finish, deep herbal bitters. Very long, hugely expressive so vibrant and alive still. Tannins are gentle now, soft and pliant. A wine that's very hard to fault, at its peak, with no sign of falling apart anytime soon. So full of impact, so complex. Quite low in alcohol and aromatically mature. Harvested in late October.’ – Jeb Dunnuck, Decanter.com, 99/100 (Oct 2020)

‘Smoky oak very much in evidence, with mocha notes, and oak also prominent on the palate. Fine fresh tannins and nice black fruit though it lacks the sheer vitality of the Guigal wines.’ – Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17-/20 (Oct 2007)

‘I loved the 2001 Cote Rotie, but it's not for the instant gratification crowd, and even at age 14, it still has a wall of acidity and tannin. Compared to the '91 by Jean-Paul, it's a serious, medium to full-bodied, concentrated and structured Cote Rotie that has lots of cassis, currants, pepper, smoked meats and game. Possessing high acidity, beautiful concentration and ample underlying structure, give bottles another 2-4 years of cellaring and enjoy through 2031.’ – Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate, 95+/100 (Sep 2015)

‘Ruby-red. Exotic aromas of plum, woodsmoke, black olive and five-spice powder. Sweet, fat, full and impressively deep, with flavors of raspberry, mocha, mace and nutmeg. A very suave, classy and impeccably balanced Cote-Rotie with superb building length. The thoroughly ripe finish throws off notes of dried herbs and spices.’ – Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, 93/100 (Jan 2004)

Provenance

Private Client