Vinous - Josh Raynolds (93-95)

From Tartaras, Truchet and Bonniviere: Intensely floral, showing spicy violet and rose qualities along with fresh red berries and black pepper. From Gerine and Landonne: Red and dark berries on the nose. Deeper dark berries and cherry on the palate, with firm tannins adding grip and cracked pepper lending energy. From Chavaroche and Fongeant: Wild perfume of botanical herbs, cherry skin, tobacco and smoked meat. This component gives the animal quality to the wine, Jamet said. From Lancement and Le Plomb: Rich and smoky, with deep cherry and cassis flavors and gentle tannins. From Mornachon: Exotic cherry-cola, coconut and baking spices on the nose. Fleshy and sweet, with deep dark fruit flavors and good back-end sweetness. A demi-muid from Mornachon: Explosively perfumed bouquet of ripe red berries, incense and potpourri. Luscious and concentrated, with sweet red and dark berry flavors and an exotic floral pastille quality. From Moutonnes, Cote Baudin and Leyat: Intensely smoky nose offers a complex set of red fruit and floral aromas and a strong note of graphite. Impressively pure and sweet, with strong raspberry and kirsch flavors and gentle tannins. A demi-muid, from Lancement and Le Plomb: Strikingly perfumed bouquet of red berries, violet, rose and black pepper. Juicy, finely etched raspberry and wild strawberry flavors boast excellent depth and very good clarity. The final wine should be graceful and impressively complex, with vivid red fruit flavors and supple texture.

Vinous (94)

Inky ruby. A vibrant spice- and mineral-accented bouquet evokes ripe black raspberry and blueberry, candied flowers, incense and peppery spices. Sweet, palate-staining red and blue fruit compote and violet pastille flavors are complicated by notes of cracked pepper and bitter chocolate, with a spicecake nuance gaining strength in the glass. Velvety, pliant tannins add gentle grip to a strikingly long and incisive finish that strongly repeats the floral and mineral notes.

Vinous (97)

Opaque ruby. Vibrant blackberry, cherry, incense, Moroccan spice, potpourri and smoky mineral qualities on the expansive, seductively perfumed nose. Offers vibrant black and blue fruit, spicecake, olive and floral pastille flavors that show bright detail and energetic mineral lift. The floral and spice notes recur strongly on the youthfully gripping finish, which features mounting tannins and lingering smokiness.

Decanter (95)

A tasting of component barrels for this wine made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage, fresh and peppery. Others, such as Bonnivières and Tartaras, exhibited the rigid, austere tannins that are quite common in 2021. Few barrels had great concentration or generosity of fruit; this is a vintage about structure and minerality rather than concentration or fruit sweetness. I would be inclined to leave this for a substantial amount of time before broaching, around 2031, by which time it should show good complexity and terroir expression, and may well be worthy of a higher score. All whole-bunch fermented, and matured mostly in old demi-muids.

Decanter (95)

A tasting of component barrels for this wine made for an instructive view of the vintage. Certain sites show the lightness of the vintage, fresh and peppery. Others, such as Bonnivières and Tartaras, exhibited the rigid, austere tannins that are quite common in 2021. Few barrels had great concentration or generosity of fruit; this is a vintage about structure and minerality rather than concentration or fruit sweetness. I would be inclined to leave this for a substantial amount of time before broaching, around 2031, by which time it should show good complexity and terroir expression, and may well be worthy of a higher score. All whole-bunch fermented, and matured mostly in old demi-muids.

Decanter (99)

Beautifully fragrant and floral, showing rose and violet characters. Super-fine, silky tannins and lovely acidity, this is an eminently classic Côte Brune, with flowers, cinnamon, black olive, rosemary and perfectly ripe, bright blackberries. It has a tapered finish - not the same concentration and power as 2019 - but with great finesse and elegance of expression. Beautifully balanced and very hard to fault.

Vinous (91)

Bright ruby-red. Mineral-accented aromas of raspberry, cherry and candied licorice are accompanied by a building floral nuance. Appealingly sweet and focused on the palate, offering energetic red and blue fruit and violet pastille flavors and a hint of spicecake. Shows very good focus and energy on a long, sappy finish framed by harmonious tannins.

Vinous (91)

Bright ruby-red. Mineral-accented aromas of raspberry, cherry and candied licorice are accompanied by a building floral nuance. Appealingly sweet and focused on the palate, offering energetic red and blue fruit and violet pastille flavors and a hint of spicecake. Shows very good focus and energy on a long, sappy finish framed by harmonious tannins.

Vinous (92)

Brilliant ruby. Bright and focused on the nose, displaying spice- and mineral-tinged red berry, cherry and floral scents that pick up smoke and cracked pepper nuances as the wine opens up. Juicy and light on its feet, especially given the vintage, offering sweet raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavors and a hint of salty olive paste. Fine-grained tannins add grip to a long, lively finish that echoes the olive and cherry notes.

Vinous (92)

Deep, glistening ruby. Assertively perfumed aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, exotic spices and candied violet pick up a smoky mineral quality with air. Spicy and sharply delineated on the palate, offering juicy cherry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that show impressive energy and back-end lift. Finishes sappy, focused and very long, with fine-grained tannins adding shape and gentle grip.

Vinous (92)

Deep, glistening ruby. Assertively perfumed aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, exotic spices and candied violet pick up a smoky mineral quality with air. Spicy and sharply delineated on the palate, offering juicy cherry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that show impressive energy and back-end lift. Finishes sappy, focused and very long, with fine-grained tannins adding shape and gentle grip.

Imbibe a luxurious wine experience with the Jasmin Cote Rotie La Giroflarie 2021, made in France's esteemed Rhône Valley region. The Jasmin family, accomplished winemakers since 1834, elegantly marry tradition and innovation in this creation. Perfectly embodying their meticulous, almost Burgundian, approach to viti-culture, this wine showcases a meticulous selection from their oldest vineyards on Côte Brune and Côte Blonde.

Deriving its charismatic aroma from Syrah grapes with a dash of Viognier, the wine is a work of art, boasting an intoxicating fusion of violet and spicy black fruits, underscored by a complex palate. Fascinatingly, the grapes are co-fermented in traditional open-top wooden vats and aged for up to 24 months in old oak foudres, imparting a unique character to the Jasmin Cote Rotie La Giroflarie 2021. Preserving its purity of taste and demonstrating remarkable ageing potential, this is a refined expression of Côte Rôtie.

A true portrayal of mastery, the Jean Baptiste Souillard Crozes Hermitage Baties 2021 is the epitome of exquisite wine craftsmanship. Unveiling in the northern Rhône region, this exclusive vintage is lovingly crafted by the eminent French artisan, Jean Baptiste Souillard. Demonstrating remarkable finesse, Souillard employs the traditional vinification methods using 100% Syrah grapes, imparting the wine an elegant mineral complexity.

The hand-harvesting approach nurtures the Sicilian clay and limestone's unique terroir, contributing to its profound aromas and opulent flavours. Savour the harmonious blend of ripe red berries, anise, smoky bacon fat, and black pepper undertones. The silky tannins interlace seamlessly with enchanting notes of dark cocoa and cherries on the palate, embedding an enduring finish.

An ode to Souillard's dedication to purity and harmony, the Jean Baptiste Souillard Crozes Hermitage Baties 2021 stands as a testament to quintessential French wine culture.

Relish the exquisite Jean Lionnet Cornas Rochepertuis 2005, a product of meticulously nurtured vineyards located on the fabled terraced slopes of Cornas in the Rhône Valley of France. Jean Lionnet, a legend amongst winemakers in the region, has implemented traditional methods passed across generations to curate this exceptional drink.

Characterised by a rich, inky hue, the Cornas Rochepertuis 2005 offers a distinctive palate of black plum, smoke, and savoury spice. Its full-bodied structure and robust tannin balance result from ageing in oak barrels, which also instil hints of toasted vanilla. This 100% Syrah wine, boasting a perfect combination of depth, complexity, and longevity, is testament to Lionnet’s commitment to old vines and sustainable cultivation practices.

Enjoy Jean Lionnet Cornas Rochepertuis 2005, a vintage hallmark of Rhône Valley wines that reflects the artisanal finesse amalgamated with the terroir's unique character in each sip. Truly a captivating experience for discerning oenophiles.