Côte Rôtie, Ampodium, 2015
Incredibly suave and polished but bright and lively too, just like Rene himself! Expressive, beautifully-scented crushed ripe forest berry flavours, a touch of plum, cassis and pepper. Gripping but smooth, ripe but racy. A very distinguished Cote Rotie indeed. A blend of top quality vineyards across the estate including Tupin and Viaillere, all fermented with whole bunches and aged in large demi-muid casks, a maximum of 10% of which are new.
critic reviews
Opaque ruby. Highly perfumed, displaying ripe dark berry, olive and violet scents energized by a peppery spice nuance. Fleshy and expansive on the palate, offering sweet blackberry and cherry liqueur flavors and allspice and camphor notes. Supple tannins sneak in late and fold smoothly into the lush dark fruit on the clinging finish.
Bottled in July, the 2015 Cote Rotie Ampodium is fairly full-bodied and quite rich. The black olive and raspberry notes verge on being jammy but are balanced by peppery spice and firm, savory tannins. Give it 5 years in the cellar to settle down, and drink it over the next decade and a half or more. For an entry-level wine, it's remarkable.