As good as it's ever been. Starting to show just a smidgen of maturity. Beautiful aromatics, with a chalky intensity that meshes so well with the general creaminess of Cristal. There's almost a spiciness to that minerality. On the palate, some yellow fruit, but mostly leaning white. The brilliant acidity of the vintage on full display here, giving this a very firm structure.
A bit of a step down in intensity versus the 2008 alongside, with a fruit profile that is more effusive. The minerality and structure isn't as prominent, and there's more of an easiness to this that the 2008 doesn't have. Nevertheless, a beautiful, expressive fruit profile that still feels quite primary. Some of the usual creamy textures of Cristal here.
Needs air. Upon opening, this was quite thin and uninteresting on the palate; it's with the hour or so where you get more fruit (pears and apples), with a bright hit of acidity. For the relatively leanness, there's actually good palate breadth overall here. I mean, label notwithstanding, this does feel a little bit like Selosse, but way fresher and brigher.
Far more intense and darker than the regular alongside. A brilliant nose with plenty of black-fruit-driven aromatics. On the palate though, this comes across as quite chewy and tannic, despite the presence of lots of black fruit. This reminds me quite a bit of the profile of the Allemand and Chave of the same vintage, versus the 2018 regular, which is far more expressive and delicate (and in my opinion the wine of the vintage). Great breadth and complexity on the palate; this just needs a good two, three decades to come around.
The hot take from a few years ago stands. This is probably the lightest and most elegant top-end 2018 from the Northern Rhône. Surprisingly generous amounts of red fruit here, versus all the other big boys from the vintage, and a lovely spice-drive aromatic nose. On the palate, there's a coolness to the fruit that belies the vintage; blind, I'd be hard-pressed to guess the vintage here. The tannic structure isn't too firm, so it makes for relatively accessible drinking even now.
Loved the nose on this -- it's so perfumed and delicate. Red fruited and floral, even if it's missing some of the more feral and animalistic notes that syrah can take on. On the palate, this is clearly a cooler iteration, showing more acidity but relatively thin versus most other wines tonight. That pronounced streak of acidity provides the firm backbone here, as the tannins aren't as prominent. The fruit profile on the palate is of course red as well, with just a touch of savoury notes. Perhaps not as convincing as a bottle a few months ago.
I liked this more than the 2013 alongside thanks to the wonderful palate here. There's a lot more of the savoury elements on the nose and palate -- smoke, blood, meat, and brine. Versus the 2013, this is also a fair bit darker in terms of the fruit profile and showing a very lovely plush tannic structure. In a great place as far as accessibility, but as the 2000 (which feels like an older analogue) shows, in no danger of decline.
Relative to many of the other wines, this comes off a bit too heart-on-its-sleeve, with very expressive fruit and comparatively muted syrah notes. There's a slight candied quality to the fruit here, and I feel that the more modern vintages handle heat a bit better than this. That said, I'm not kicking this out of bed anytime soon. The structure is a little attenuated, with lower acidity and matured, silky tannins. Great for drinking now, and a few hours of air helps this develop a little more palate complexity.
Brilliant. You get the sense of very small, shot berries. The intensity of the fruit is absolutely gorgeous, and while it does have a slight bit of a confectionary quality to the fruit, it's balanced out by the relatively bigger structure versus the regular bottling. That said, this doesn't feel at all like a weightier wine -- there's an airiness and delicacy to the red fruit here that I really like, as well as more minerality versus the regular.
Late release -- it has the contemporary Jamet logo on the bottle. So much smokiness and brine on the nose, with emergent autumnal notes on the palate. Quite firm with the acidity, this with the 2000 feel like the 2013/2012 pair respectively (this and the 2013 driven by aromatics, the 2000 and 2012 driven more by palate roundedness). Lighter in intensity, with the structure driven more by the acid than the tannin here.
I've always loved this iteration. There's just the right amount of weight on the palate where you get the depth and breadth you want, but also the maturity of the fruit and silkiness of the tannins give very clear drink now vibes. Elegant and resolved, with a bit more fruit, but also distinct meat and brine notes on the nose. Quite rounded, and certainly a very worthy bottle to open now.
One of my favourites tonight. This is firmly structural, with leathery tannins and some residual black fruit. This and the older wines are cut from different cloth; they're far more feral and wilder with more of a rustic structure. Feels old school versus the more polished modern iterations. Intense olive brine on the nose here, with a slightly attenuated palate (that's probably a function of 1996) but an almost incongruously full and intense tannic profile.
Versus the 1994, this has quite a bit more fruit. But it's also clear they are very much siblings in terms of the structure. There's a coarse rusticity to the tannins that the modern iterations don't have. This feels far more like a throwback style of Northern Rhône. Very much black fruit here, with relatively high acidity as well. Given the structure, this seems like it could easily age another decade.
One of my favourites tonight. This is very much old school, rustic Northern Rhône. Not quite as fruit-driven as the 1995, but the savoury aromatics of blood, smoke, and meat are far more intense here. The profile is still much more black than red, and there's almost a touch of Cornas to this. Firm tannic structure that is in no danger of decline.
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 95 Points
France, Champagne
As good as it's ever been. Starting to show just a smidgen of maturity. Beautiful aromatics, with a chalky intensity that meshes so well with the general creaminess of Cristal. There's almost a spiciness to that minerality. On the palate, some yellow fruit, but mostly leaning white. The brilliant acidity of the vintage on full display here, giving this a very firm structure.
Post a Comment / 10 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2012 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 93 Points
France, Champagne
A bit of a step down in intensity versus the 2008 alongside, with a fruit profile that is more effusive. The minerality and structure isn't as prominent, and there's more of an easiness to this that the 2008 doesn't have. Nevertheless, a beautiful, expressive fruit profile that still feels quite primary. Some of the usual creamy textures of Cristal here.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2014 Michel Fallon Champagne Brigitte Fallon Avysia Avize 93 Points
France, Champagne
Needs air. Upon opening, this was quite thin and uninteresting on the palate; it's with the hour or so where you get more fruit (pears and apples), with a bright hit of acidity. For the relatively leanness, there's actually good palate breadth overall here. I mean, label notwithstanding, this does feel a little bit like Selosse, but way fresher and brigher.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2018 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Far more intense and darker than the regular alongside. A brilliant nose with plenty of black-fruit-driven aromatics. On the palate though, this comes across as quite chewy and tannic, despite the presence of lots of black fruit. This reminds me quite a bit of the profile of the Allemand and Chave of the same vintage, versus the 2018 regular, which is far more expressive and delicate (and in my opinion the wine of the vintage). Great breadth and complexity on the palate; this just needs a good two, three decades to come around.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2018 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
The hot take from a few years ago stands. This is probably the lightest and most elegant top-end 2018 from the Northern Rhône. Surprisingly generous amounts of red fruit here, versus all the other big boys from the vintage, and a lovely spice-drive aromatic nose. On the palate, there's a coolness to the fruit that belies the vintage; blind, I'd be hard-pressed to guess the vintage here. The tannic structure isn't too firm, so it makes for relatively accessible drinking even now.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2013 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Loved the nose on this -- it's so perfumed and delicate. Red fruited and floral, even if it's missing some of the more feral and animalistic notes that syrah can take on. On the palate, this is clearly a cooler iteration, showing more acidity but relatively thin versus most other wines tonight. That pronounced streak of acidity provides the firm backbone here, as the tannins aren't as prominent. The fruit profile on the palate is of course red as well, with just a touch of savoury notes. Perhaps not as convincing as a bottle a few months ago.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2012 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
I liked this more than the 2013 alongside thanks to the wonderful palate here. There's a lot more of the savoury elements on the nose and palate -- smoke, blood, meat, and brine. Versus the 2013, this is also a fair bit darker in terms of the fruit profile and showing a very lovely plush tannic structure. In a great place as far as accessibility, but as the 2000 (which feels like an older analogue) shows, in no danger of decline.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2009 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Relative to many of the other wines, this comes off a bit too heart-on-its-sleeve, with very expressive fruit and comparatively muted syrah notes. There's a slight candied quality to the fruit here, and I feel that the more modern vintages handle heat a bit better than this. That said, I'm not kicking this out of bed anytime soon. The structure is a little attenuated, with lower acidity and matured, silky tannins. Great for drinking now, and a few hours of air helps this develop a little more palate complexity.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2009 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Brilliant. You get the sense of very small, shot berries. The intensity of the fruit is absolutely gorgeous, and while it does have a slight bit of a confectionary quality to the fruit, it's balanced out by the relatively bigger structure versus the regular bottling. That said, this doesn't feel at all like a weightier wine -- there's an airiness and delicacy to the red fruit here that I really like, as well as more minerality versus the regular.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
2001 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Late release -- it has the contemporary Jamet logo on the bottle. So much smokiness and brine on the nose, with emergent autumnal notes on the palate. Quite firm with the acidity, this with the 2000 feel like the 2013/2012 pair respectively (this and the 2013 driven by aromatics, the 2000 and 2012 driven more by palate roundedness). Lighter in intensity, with the structure driven more by the acid than the tannin here.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
2000 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
I've always loved this iteration. There's just the right amount of weight on the palate where you get the depth and breadth you want, but also the maturity of the fruit and silkiness of the tannins give very clear drink now vibes. Elegant and resolved, with a bit more fruit, but also distinct meat and brine notes on the nose. Quite rounded, and certainly a very worthy bottle to open now.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1998 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie Flawed
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Slightly oxidized or heat-damaged. Clearly not representative.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1996 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
One of my favourites tonight. This is firmly structural, with leathery tannins and some residual black fruit. This and the older wines are cut from different cloth; they're far more feral and wilder with more of a rustic structure. Feels old school versus the more polished modern iterations. Intense olive brine on the nose here, with a slightly attenuated palate (that's probably a function of 1996) but an almost incongruously full and intense tannic profile.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
1995 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Versus the 1994, this has quite a bit more fruit. But it's also clear they are very much siblings in terms of the structure. There's a coarse rusticity to the tannins that the modern iterations don't have. This feels far more like a throwback style of Northern Rhône. Very much black fruit here, with relatively high acidity as well. Given the structure, this seems like it could easily age another decade.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
1994 Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
One of my favourites tonight. This is very much old school, rustic Northern Rhône. Not quite as fruit-driven as the 1995, but the savoury aromatics of blood, smoke, and meat are far more intense here. The profile is still much more black than red, and there's almost a touch of Cornas to this. Firm tannic structure that is in no danger of decline.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No