Côte Rôtie, Domaine Jean-Paul Jamet 2001

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.

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. 2017-2031