Côte Rôtie Les Terrasses, Vignoble Jean-Luc Jamet 2018

I loved the 2018 Côte Rôtie Terrasses, which is slightly more supple and elegant than both the 2017 and 2019. Offering darker red, almost blue fruits as well as peppery game, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality, it's medium to full-bodied, has the vintage's pure, balanced, harmonious style, supple tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the structure or mid-palate density of the 2019, but is a gorgeously complex, nuanced Côte Rôtie that needs another 3-5 years of bottle age and will evolve gracefully.

Full bottle 1,390 g. First proper vintage made by Jean-Paul Jamet's brother.Very deep purplish crimson. Treacle and liquorice on the nose – definitely north Rhône Syrah! Bone dry and slightly unyielding on the finish. With time in the glass, the acidity came to the fore. (JR)

I tasted four different lots that will go into Jamet's 2018 Cote Rotie. All showed wonderfully silky, elegant tannins, which should make the wine approachable when young. Aromas and flavors range from violets and raspberries to darker notes of cassis and blueberry in these generally full-bodied barrel samples.

(casks) regular red robe; there is likeable serenity on the nose, red fruits that have clear definition, blue fruit touches, is nice and calm, not yet varied. There’s a murmur of perfume-flowers. There is good style in the juice, an immediate offer of it, streamlined tannins in play. Its cool late notes work well. This is no pretension, authentic Rôtie. From 2023. 2043-45 Nov 2019