Smoke, tobacco leaf, spice, forest floor, and mushroom. Mature blackberry fruit with fig, date note. Briny and meaty midpalate. Savory, earthy, herbal, peppery finish. Very long.
This wine probably peaking right now. Wonderfully complex with a gamut of tertiary nuances, while retaining balance and intensity.
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Rhône Tasting-cum-Lunch (Restaurant Rijsel, Amsterdam, NL): Structurally completely intact, warm spices and red meat, deep yet elegant, silky texture, mostly resolved tannins, showing a bit of wood, slightly drying but perfumed finish.
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WIMPS #153 Northern Rhône 27th May 2022 (La Trompette, Chiswick): My favourite of the Côtes Rôties. Lovely peppery, cinnaomon bark and star anise nose. There is something like a sliced steak and oodles of red fruits and a touch of smoke. Later some tea adds to the mix. The palate is rich and long. Superbly balanced and some further red and black fruits with fully resolved tannins.
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[Blind] Nose is rustic, scorched earth, cola / sarsaparilla spice. Surprisingly wild and I even find some animalistic character. I think I am enjoying this more than anyone else in the group today. Palate however is back in line with a more heavy-handed oak polish and woody black fruit. Controversial but I enjoyed this.
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Eighth bottle from a case purchased at auction in 2016. This is starting to show its age - it is becoming a bit fragile. The explosive aromatics continue to impress (warm spices, red meat, violets, raspberries, granite), but the structure is becoming a bit precarious, the tannins are mostly resolved and the acidity is separating ever so slightly. Long and complete finish. Drink up.
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93+. Surprisingly pinot like flavors on the palate with medium bodied elegance, but bigger thicker fruit. Sandy and fine sediment decanted off. Drank after 5 hours air per recommendations here on CT.
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Dark rich colour. I hope iron filings, tar, licorice, blackberries earth, old oak and pepper. Fleshy, smooth well balanced and long. Fine furry tannins and good acidity. In brilliant shape. Has opened up nicely, cassis, raspberry, ink, blueberry, white pepper, graphite and tar. Dark and brambly, delicious.
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Fascinating wine, in a great place. After a couple hours showing a potent nose of olives, meaty fat, dark fruit, green onion. Medium+ weight palate with more olives and dark cherry, long finish and good balance. Not as silky as some N. Rhone but developed to a good place.
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Friday V-day late night at Maison Dakota. Pop and poured. Drank over 3 hours. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Tasted blind. Appearance is not clear, fine sediments, pale intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose is dirty, medium+ intensity, with aromas of smelly sweaty musky bretty animals, earth, dirty wood, red cherries. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), soft velvety medium tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of vegetals, green undergrowth, earth, bretty animal meat, bacon fat, cigar, red cherries, green olive. Long finish. Good quality. Materiale underneath the brett is all very elegant. Pity the brett was a little too much even by my brett-lover standards. Time to drink up already.
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Beautiful wine, drinking well w/ no signs of fading. Some orange tinge at rim. Dark chocolate deep berry aromas with tobacco, bl olives, excellent length. Enjoyed w/ venison.
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A private lunch with friends (at home): Another star performance today. Amazing mineral freshness, smoked bacon and vibrant fruit, a tribute to the quality of the great 1999 vintage. Not tired at all, good future still.
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Very nice to see this again - gutted to have drunk my own stash. Dark, full robe, wonderful complex nose, mature and layered, yet with plenty of fruit, tobacco, bacon, olives - very elegant côte-rôtie - that will live on. #Palægade#OnkelE
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1999 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Blomster, rødbær, lær og blod på nese. Jordbær, rips, tobakk, underskog og einebær i munn. Elegant og lineær. Harmonisk og lineær. Lang!
Ungdommelig frukt og fremdeles plenty struktur. Varer i mange år til. 91-92
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Game @ The Harwood Arms (Harwood Arms, London): Deep ruby. Really quite plush on the nose with a freshness and slight lift coming through. Dark red fruit. Quite dense. Fresh with a good line. Densely silky. Best Rostaing in a while. ****
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A private tasting (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Wonderfully rich and fresh and mature, complex and pure, juicy and cool and fresh, rosehip, transparent and precise, red berries, red meat and spices, very good length.
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Pristine bottle, showing very well once again but not quite as expressive and convincing as the bottle tasted in February 2017. Very fresh and youthful for its 18 years, crushed red berries, hints of red meat and spices, retains some tannic grip, good flavours and length.
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Three years since last taste. This classique from a great vintage still holds up and seems to be at the same level as three years ago. Mature sweet nose, more burgundian than rhone. Not much pepper but more roses and balsamic notes on the nose. Soft, finely grained on the palate, still with some tannic grip, which balances very well with the mature fruit. Very, very good now!
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I didn't give this its due (mind on work, pop & pour, etc), but this was disappointing relative to my last bottle a few years ago. More generic than I was expecting. Hopefully more my fault than the wine's...
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Dark red in color. Lovely classic nose shows reddish black berries, pepper, tobacco, meat stock and hint of black olives. Well resolved on the palate with sweet-tart red berries, pan drippings, pepper, medium(+) acidity, no tannins/wood and a long minerally finish.
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A private tasting and dinner (at home): A stunning bottle. Mature but fresh, harmonious and lively, crushed red and black berries, freshly ground black pepper, slatey minerality, elegant weight, beautifully balanced, toasted spices, red meat and a hint of iron, mostly resolved tannins continue to provide grip, very good length. Textbook Côte Rôtie. Now - 2020.
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Pristine bottle, first from a recently acquired case, level < 1 cm below the cork. Mature but lively appearance; warm but fresh nose, vinous, beef stock, black pepper, hint of smoke, cool minerality; juicy and fresh palate, largely resolved tannins, energetic and harmonious, sweet red berry fruit, satiny texture, intense and pure flavours; good resonance on the finish, not too drying, good length. Good stuff. Fully mature, drink now - 2020.
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Northern Rhone night at Chez Simo (Chicago, IL): Soft. Surprisingly so. If this was oaky at some point in time, it has integrated very, very well. It's interesting to taste this next to the Texier, as they show a very different style. This is definitely broader and fuller, but plenty of acidity as well, bolstered by some riper fruit flavours. The alcohol seems to poke a little bit on the finish, and the tannins aren't the most smoothly integrated.
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The nose was pretty reductive but sevelte. The palate was really elegant with subtle black fruits and chalky tannins. Had a rather smooth moderately long finish.
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Four Cote-Roties (Amali): This is clearly the ripest and darkest wine in the group. It has the most concentration and the densest fruit, impressive really, with just enough of a meaty, peppery edge to make it interesting. But as it sits in the glass it gets a little spirity and the tannins are kind of chalky. Lovely long purple fruit finish though.
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Absolutely gorgeous! Young looking hue. Nose of great complexity and refinement, my last bottle of six and the best (!) Nose shows the usual herbs and meat from northern rhone, but also a distinct cedar nose (think Pauillac). Blood and smoke underneath. Palate is medium bodied and totally in balance. Still some soft and mature tannins which gives grip. Finely grained acidity. Long finish. Much better than all 10 subsequent vintages. 1999 is just great, probably up there with 1990 and 1978.
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Classic Cote-Rotie, as far as I can tell. Meat and violets; elegant with just enough rusticity to remind you you're drinking Northern Rhone syrah. Seems to be drinking perfectly.
Had the 1999 Jamet, Burgeau, Clusel Roch, Rostaing and Gallet together. 5 fairly traditional producers. All decanted 4 hours. Rostaing Cuvee Classique faired well, and was fatter and fuller than I normally encounter with this wine. Perhaps 1999 is an exception. Anyway, very nice and ready to drink now!
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Where my last bottle was quite smoky, the nose on this bottle leaned more towards the burnt rubber/vinyl spectrum. Plenty of dark red fruits, plums, black pepper, lavender and floral notes. Perhaps a touch of astringency on the finish that also wasn't present in my last bottle.
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What a great Cote-Rotie. Everything that you want and expect is right here. Meaty, floral, dark fruits, hint of olives. Great acidity, never heavy and drinking so well right now. Hard to put down.
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Very nice indeed! It needs 2 hours to open up. Rich layered nose of violets, licorice root, meat stock and lady's handbag. Some wet iron. Less typical northern Rhone notes! Acid is prominent in the attack, but the wine fills out on the mid palate and the back palate is very true to the bouquet. Very good balance, the tannins have almost vanished. Finish is long and dominated by orange peel.
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Bricking dark red. Quintessential Cote Rotie with an intoxicating floral perfume melded with red fruits, smoke, olives, mineral, and iron. Very light and delicate in the mouth with nice concentration & richness. Drinking very well now and no rush.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Medium purple. Nose of musky plum, black pepper, garrigue, florals. Very smoothly textured and elegant on the palate with sheets of red plum and strawberry layered with white pepper, brambles, and kirsch. Low acidity and filed-off tannins. Moderate finish, quite harmonious in nature. Not much grip. An exercise in civility and elegance but missing that certain something to make it outstanding.
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Ruby red, with shades of purple but starting to fade at the rim. Beautifully scented nose of violets, spices, pepper, smoked ham and dark red fruits. More masculine than your typical rostaing cote rotie. Palate is very impressive for a straight cote rotie. Velvety, round, soft bright red and dark fruits (cherries, raspberries). Still has a long way to go!
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Bottle 8 of 12. Finally starting to show its stuff but could still use a couple of years. Compared to the '97 very little bricking, still youthfull color. It has shaken off the reduction of previous bottles to reveal crisp, linear strawberry on the opening, evolving to a plummy, tarry, earthy character with air and time. Sill, throughout 5 hours fresh fruit dominated the palate offering great promise that it will evolve to a higher plain of existence to become, perhaps, ethereal. On the other hand, the slight hint of brett on the nose will probably keep it earthbound. Excellent for sure; but tethered to the planet.
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Medium ruby. Aromas slow to develop, in two hours producing plum, anise, hemp, floral elements. Low tannin, low acid. Compact in the mouth, slightly bitter and ungenerous in intensity. Whether still underground (doubtful) or fading quickly from its period for best drinking (my guess), this bottle offered very little to enjoy this evening, especially for the price. Bottle #2 of two.
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Decanted for an hour. Dark color, nose of dark red fruit, animal fur, tar, leather, and beef stock. Musky, dark red fruit with eight this savage notes echoed in the midplate with smoke leading to an iron-tinged finish. Classic Cote Rotie from a great vintage, especially for Rene' Roastaing.
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Started off with charred meat. Seriously burned. After some time in the decanter, the char/smoke tamed considerably letting the red fruits and floral notes come through. The great acidic structure framed the palate rather well. Nice.
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This wine was decanted and poured. It did not show well initially and failed to develop in the glass or decanter. On release this wine showed very well; however, it had not been tasted since that time. Hopefully the recent showing is either the result of bottle variation or an awkward stage. Both on the bouquet and palate the wine was monolithic and best described as tough and unyielding. The color is a saturated dark brick red to black and correct for its age.
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I have never had a '99 Cote Rotie that did not impress. Come to think of it, I have not had a Rostaing that did not impress. Purity and intensity here. Soft ripe tannins develop, but it really needs more than the hour I have given it in the decanter. Perhaps it could be more refined, but that's just looking to be critical. If this is the basic cuveé I can't wait to try the Blonde and Landonne. dg+
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Tasted blind at McCarthy & Schiering. I heard someone mention this was Syrah, and I immediately assumed it was a Hermitage. The nose revealed smoke, pine needle, green olive tapenade and sharp (almost unpleasantly so) notes of white pepper. The palate was for more interesting, lush and enveloping, yet restrained and showing loads of dust and mineral. The balance on this was impeccable, showing some tightness on the finish with fine, dusty tannins. I would imagine that this really needs another 10 years to strut its stuff, but it is pretty interesting already, albeit not showing the meat, acid and flowers I would expect for a Côte-Rôtie.
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This had a slightly funky barnyard nose which told me it was a Rhone. The problem was that I guessed this was the Pegau CdP and not the Cote Rotie. Smooth with notes of red berries and spice. Young and firm tannins. 91-92 points.
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Deep red color. Currants and herbs in the nose. Bubblegum, cassis, chalk, leather, roasted herbs and youthful bitter tannins. A tad shut down, but magnificent.
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2/22/2024 - Ruminator Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium brownish garnet. Sediments. Bricking.
Smoke, tobacco leaf, spice, forest floor, and mushroom. Mature blackberry fruit with fig, date note. Briny and meaty midpalate. Savory, earthy, herbal, peppery finish. Very long.
This wine probably peaking right now. Wonderfully complex with a gamut of tertiary nuances, while retaining balance and intensity.
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7/10/2022 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Rhône Tasting-cum-Lunch (Restaurant Rijsel, Amsterdam, NL): Structurally completely intact, warm spices and red meat, deep yet elegant, silky texture, mostly resolved tannins, showing a bit of wood, slightly drying but perfumed finish.
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5/27/2022 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 91 Points
WIMPS #153 Northern Rhône 27th May 2022 (La Trompette, Chiswick): My favourite of the Côtes Rôties. Lovely peppery, cinnaomon bark and star anise nose. There is something like a sliced steak and oodles of red fruits and a touch of smoke. Later some tea adds to the mix. The palate is rich and long. Superbly balanced and some further red and black fruits with fully resolved tannins.
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12/25/2021 - aro Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle = best bottle. Smoky, bramble fruit. Restrained and with less oxidative, stewed notes than past bottles have shown. Very enjoyable.
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7/17/2021 - SARED Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Nice freshness with resolved structure and dark ripe fruit. Perceptible clear alcohol throughout the palate. 90-91
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3/10/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
[Blind] Nose is rustic, scorched earth, cola / sarsaparilla spice. Surprisingly wild and I even find some animalistic character. I think I am enjoying this more than anyone else in the group today. Palate however is back in line with a more heavy-handed oak polish and woody black fruit. Controversial but I enjoyed this.
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12/16/2020 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Eighth bottle from a case purchased at auction in 2016. This is starting to show its age - it is becoming a bit fragile. The explosive aromatics continue to impress (warm spices, red meat, violets, raspberries, granite), but the structure is becoming a bit precarious, the tannins are mostly resolved and the acidity is separating ever so slightly. Long and complete finish. Drink up.
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10/5/2020 - SARED Likes this wine: 93 Points
93+. Surprisingly pinot like flavors on the palate with medium bodied elegance, but bigger thicker fruit. Sandy and fine sediment decanted off. Drank after 5 hours air per recommendations here on CT.
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9/12/2020 - RayOB wrote: 88 Points
Slightly disjointed
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5/25/2020 - DBenke wrote: 95 Points
That is Fantastic. Great fruit. Along with everything a great Cote Rotie is supposed to include. Love this. Post Memorial Day flood! Lol
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4/12/2020 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark rich colour.
I hope iron filings, tar, licorice, blackberries earth, old oak and pepper.
Fleshy, smooth well balanced and long. Fine furry tannins and good acidity. In brilliant shape. Has opened up nicely, cassis, raspberry, ink, blueberry, white pepper, graphite and tar. Dark and brambly, delicious.
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4/3/2020 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fascinating wine, in a great place. After a couple hours showing a potent nose of olives, meaty fat, dark fruit, green onion. Medium+ weight palate with more olives and dark cherry, long finish and good balance. Not as silky as some N. Rhone but developed to a good place.
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2/29/2020 - jmoon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Brilliant
Give it time, an absolute journey over 5 amazing hours from classic fresh old bones to singing full blossom symphony.
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2/14/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 91 Points
Friday V-day late night at Maison Dakota. Pop and poured. Drank over 3 hours. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Tasted blind.
Appearance is not clear, fine sediments, pale intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is dirty, medium+ intensity, with aromas of smelly sweaty musky bretty animals, earth, dirty wood, red cherries. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), soft velvety medium tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of vegetals, green undergrowth, earth, bretty animal meat, bacon fat, cigar, red cherries, green olive. Long finish.
Good quality. Materiale underneath the brett is all very elegant. Pity the brett was a little too much even by my brett-lover standards. Time to drink up already.
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12/26/2019 - gretsch2holton Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine, drinking well w/ no signs of fading. Some orange tinge at rim. Dark chocolate deep berry aromas with tobacco, bl olives, excellent length. Enjoyed w/ venison.
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10/12/2019 - yinha Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drinking well - alluring with secondaries on the nose; palate may be on the wane though?
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2/24/2019 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private lunch with friends (at home): Another star performance today. Amazing mineral freshness, smoked bacon and vibrant fruit, a tribute to the quality of the great 1999 vintage. Not tired at all, good future still.
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11/12/2018 - beatles wrote: 93 Points
Very nice to see this again - gutted to have drunk my own stash. Dark, full robe, wonderful complex nose, mature and layered, yet with plenty of fruit, tobacco, bacon, olives - very elegant côte-rôtie - that will live on.
#Palægade#OnkelE
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11/10/2018 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 92 Points
1999 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie
Blomster, rødbær, lær og blod på nese. Jordbær, rips, tobakk, underskog og einebær i munn. Elegant og lineær. Harmonisk og lineær. Lang!
Ungdommelig frukt og fremdeles plenty struktur. Varer i mange år til. 91-92
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10/18/2018 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Game @ The Harwood Arms (Harwood Arms, London): Deep ruby. Really quite plush on the nose with a freshness and slight lift coming through. Dark red fruit. Quite dense. Fresh with a good line. Densely silky. Best Rostaing in a while. ****
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5/28/2018 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasting @ VINEUM in Rotterdam. Tasted blind. Black pepper, black fruits. Some positive tea notes. Drink now...
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5/28/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private tasting (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Wonderfully rich and fresh and mature, complex and pure, juicy and cool and fresh, rosehip, transparent and precise, red berries, red meat and spices, very good length.
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5/25/2018 - lepetitchateau wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine, complex, earthy, succulent and vibrant.
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11/5/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Pristine bottle, showing very well once again but not quite as expressive and convincing as the bottle tasted in February 2017. Very fresh and youthful for its 18 years, crushed red berries, hints of red meat and spices, retains some tannic grip, good flavours and length.
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9/20/2017 - Bourgognefreak Likes this wine: 90 Points
quite elegant and quite youthful despite its 18 years.
typical norther Rhone character but not as expressive as in other vintages.
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9/20/2017 - UTPK wrote:
Three years since last taste. This classique from a great vintage still holds up and seems to be at the same level as three years ago. Mature sweet nose, more burgundian than rhone. Not much pepper but more roses and balsamic notes on the nose. Soft, finely grained on the palate, still with some tannic grip, which balances very well with the mature fruit. Very, very good now!
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8/9/2017 - collin wrote:
I didn't give this its due (mind on work, pop & pour, etc), but this was disappointing relative to my last bottle a few years ago. More generic than I was expecting. Hopefully more my fault than the wine's...
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8/1/2017 - devraj Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red in color. Lovely classic nose shows reddish black berries, pepper, tobacco, meat stock and hint of black olives. Well resolved on the palate with sweet-tart red berries, pan drippings, pepper, medium(+) acidity, no tannins/wood and a long minerally finish.
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2/25/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private tasting and dinner (at home): A stunning bottle. Mature but fresh, harmonious and lively, crushed red and black berries, freshly ground black pepper, slatey minerality, elegant weight, beautifully balanced, toasted spices, red meat and a hint of iron, mostly resolved tannins continue to provide grip, very good length. Textbook Côte Rôtie. Now - 2020.
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1/19/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
VinoLaprisco Tasting (Restaurant De Karpendonkse Hoeve *, Eindhoven, Netherlands): Paired with Chapoutier La Mordorée 1999. Identical to my previous note. A beautiful example of a classic Côte Rôtie in full maturity.
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12/20/2016 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
Pristine bottle, first from a recently acquired case, level < 1 cm below the cork. Mature but lively appearance; warm but fresh nose, vinous, beef stock, black pepper, hint of smoke, cool minerality; juicy and fresh palate, largely resolved tannins, energetic and harmonious, sweet red berry fruit, satiny texture, intense and pure flavours; good resonance on the finish, not too drying, good length. Good stuff. Fully mature, drink now - 2020.
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7/20/2016 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Northern Rhone night at Chez Simo (Chicago, IL): Soft. Surprisingly so. If this was oaky at some point in time, it has integrated very, very well. It's interesting to taste this next to the Texier, as they show a very different style. This is definitely broader and fuller, but plenty of acidity as well, bolstered by some riper fruit flavours. The alcohol seems to poke a little bit on the finish, and the tannins aren't the most smoothly integrated.
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11/16/2015 - Nicholas81 wrote:
The nose was pretty reductive but sevelte. The palate was really elegant with subtle black fruits and chalky tannins. Had a rather smooth moderately long finish.
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5/4/2015 - coremill wrote: 89 Points
Four Cote-Roties (Amali): This is clearly the ripest and darkest wine in the group. It has the most concentration and the densest fruit, impressive really, with just enough of a meaty, peppery edge to make it interesting. But as it sits in the glass it gets a little spirity and the tannins are kind of chalky. Lovely long purple fruit finish though.
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8/4/2014 - UTPK wrote:
Absolutely gorgeous! Young looking hue. Nose of great complexity and refinement, my last bottle of six and the best (!) Nose shows the usual herbs and meat from northern rhone, but also a distinct cedar nose (think Pauillac). Blood and smoke underneath. Palate is medium bodied and totally in balance. Still some soft and mature tannins which gives grip. Finely grained acidity. Long finish. Much better than all 10 subsequent vintages. 1999 is just great, probably up there with 1990 and 1978.
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5/12/2014 - collin wrote:
Classic Cote-Rotie, as far as I can tell. Meat and violets; elegant with just enough rusticity to remind you you're drinking Northern Rhone syrah. Seems to be drinking perfectly.
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11/20/2013 - UTPK wrote:
Had the 1999 Jamet, Burgeau, Clusel Roch, Rostaing and Gallet together. 5 fairly traditional producers. All decanted 4 hours. Rostaing Cuvee Classique faired well, and was fatter and fuller than I normally encounter with this wine. Perhaps 1999 is an exception. Anyway, very nice and ready to drink now!
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11/9/2013 - dmalcolm wrote: 89 Points
Where my last bottle was quite smoky, the nose on this bottle leaned more towards the burnt rubber/vinyl spectrum. Plenty of dark red fruits, plums, black pepper, lavender and floral notes. Perhaps a touch of astringency on the finish that also wasn't present in my last bottle.
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10/30/2013 - french16 wrote:
What a great Cote-Rotie. Everything that you want and expect is right here. Meaty, floral, dark fruits, hint of olives. Great acidity, never heavy and drinking so well right now. Hard to put down.
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2/19/2013 - mouton45 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought to wine group dinner. Nice but needs some time to blossom like Rostaings usually do. No bacon fat scents
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12/30/2012 - UTPK wrote:
Very nice indeed! It needs 2 hours to open up. Rich layered nose of violets, licorice root, meat stock and lady's handbag. Some wet iron. Less typical northern Rhone notes! Acid is prominent in the attack, but the wine fills out on the mid palate and the back palate is very true to the bouquet. Very good balance, the tannins have almost vanished. Finish is long and dominated by orange peel.
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11/3/2012 - dmalcolm wrote: 91 Points
Bricking dark red. Quintessential Cote Rotie with an intoxicating floral perfume melded with red fruits, smoke, olives, mineral, and iron. Very light and delicate in the mouth with nice concentration & richness. Drinking very well now and no rush.
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11/27/2011 - DougLee wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Medium purple. Nose of musky plum, black pepper, garrigue, florals. Very smoothly textured and elegant on the palate with sheets of red plum and strawberry layered with white pepper, brambles, and kirsch. Low acidity and filed-off tannins. Moderate finish, quite harmonious in nature. Not much grip. An exercise in civility and elegance but missing that certain something to make it outstanding.
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9/6/2011 - don_quichotte wrote: 92 Points
Ruby red, with shades of purple but starting to fade at the rim. Beautifully scented nose of violets, spices, pepper, smoked ham and dark red fruits. More masculine than your typical rostaing cote rotie. Palate is very impressive for a straight cote rotie. Velvety, round, soft bright red and dark fruits (cherries, raspberries). Still has a long way to go!
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6/14/2011 - steveyboy17 wrote: 92 Points
stunning wine,black currents galore
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2/28/2011 - onewineheaven wrote: 93 Points
Bottle 8 of 12. Finally starting to show its stuff but could still use a couple of years. Compared to the '97 very little bricking, still youthfull color. It has shaken off the reduction of previous bottles to reveal crisp, linear strawberry on the opening, evolving to a plummy, tarry, earthy character with air and time. Sill, throughout 5 hours fresh fruit dominated the palate offering great promise that it will evolve to a higher plain of existence to become, perhaps, ethereal. On the other hand, the slight hint of brett on the nose will probably keep it earthbound. Excellent for sure; but tethered to the planet.
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1/3/2011 - Hodby wrote: 85 Points
Medium ruby. Aromas slow to develop, in two hours producing plum, anise, hemp, floral elements. Low tannin, low acid. Compact in the mouth, slightly bitter and ungenerous in intensity. Whether still underground (doubtful) or fading quickly from its period for best drinking (my guess), this bottle offered very little to enjoy this evening, especially for the price. Bottle #2 of two.
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1/2/2011 - ebrown35 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Dark color, nose of dark red fruit, animal fur, tar, leather, and beef stock. Musky, dark red fruit with eight this savage notes echoed in the midplate with smoke leading to an iron-tinged finish. Classic Cote Rotie from a great vintage, especially for Rene' Roastaing.
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12/12/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Bright color and very expressive nose. Quite youthful. Nice meat and richness but clean flavors. Outstanding with braised short ribs.
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11/21/2009 - collin wrote:
Started off with charred meat. Seriously burned. After some time in the decanter, the char/smoke tamed considerably letting the red fruits and floral notes come through. The great acidic structure framed the palate rather well. Nice.
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11/12/2009 - alamoave wrote: 91 Points
Lovely, smoky, prototypical Cote-Rotie. Wish I had more.
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11/27/2008 - sehill wrote: 81 Points
This wine was decanted and poured. It did not show well initially and failed to develop in the glass or decanter. On release this wine showed very well; however, it had not been tasted since that time. Hopefully the recent showing is either the result of bottle variation or an awkward stage. Both on the bouquet and palate the wine was monolithic and best described as tough and unyielding. The color is a saturated dark brick red to black and correct for its age.
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10/14/2008 - Jeff W wrote:
I have never had a '99 Cote Rotie that did not impress. Come to think of it, I have not had a Rostaing that did not impress. Purity and intensity here. Soft ripe tannins develop, but it really needs more than the hour I have given it in the decanter. Perhaps it could be more refined, but that's just looking to be critical. If this is the basic cuveé I can't wait to try the Blonde and Landonne. dg+
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9/5/2005 - espia wrote:
Delicious gamey, savoury nose. Good body and length.
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11/24/2004 - Eric wrote:
Tasted blind at McCarthy & Schiering. I heard someone mention this was Syrah, and I immediately assumed it was a Hermitage. The nose revealed smoke, pine needle, green olive tapenade and sharp (almost unpleasantly so) notes of white pepper. The palate was for more interesting, lush and enveloping, yet restrained and showing loads of dust and mineral. The balance on this was impeccable, showing some tightness on the finish with fine, dusty tannins. I would imagine that this really needs another 10 years to strut its stuff, but it is pretty interesting already, albeit not showing the meat, acid and flowers I would expect for a Côte-Rôtie.
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3/2/2004 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
This had a slightly funky barnyard nose which told me it was a Rhone. The problem was that I guessed this was the Pegau CdP and not the Cote Rotie. Smooth with notes of red berries and spice. Young and firm tannins. 91-92 points.
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2/29/2004 - R2-D2 wrote: 94 Points
Deep red color. Currants and herbs in the nose. Bubblegum, cassis, chalk, leather, roasted herbs and youthful bitter tannins. A tad shut down, but magnificent.
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2/12/2004 - EricBe wrote:
I'll second that; we opened it and it was thin and may have been turned. Just not good.
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8/9/2003 - Eric wrote:
Seattle Tasting Group does Northern Rhône (Bellevue, WA, USA): Something was off with this wine. It had a gnarly, sulfur-infused, medicinal thing going on. No like.
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