This is a great expression of the Terroir of the Côte Brune, at once mineral and floral. Dark and concentrated it is reminiscent of the great Côte-Rôtie of yesteryear!
The vintage

The quality of the wines, once again, has lived up to our expectations – offering some compensation for the yields in 2010 being extremely low, even lower than those of 2009 – already classified as a capricious vintage.
Relatively challenging conditions prevailed until the beginning of September…
Frost and humidity in the spring resulted in coulure (flower dropping). Grenache was particularly susceptible.
Cool weather during the summer and fairly strong rains at the beginning of September made for very slow and uneven maturation. Fortunately, remarkably good weather followed and the fruit took full advantage of the very favorable conditions - by mid-September, warm weather was certainly back. The vines, with a relatively small potential harvest, were ready to take full advantage of the optimal conditions. Those vignerons that were attentive waited, patiently, until optimal maturity was reached…
As a result, the fruit that was picked was essentially perfect, with superb concentration and ideal acidity levels, making wines with exceptional balance,
an exceptional achievement.
The 2010 vintage is already impressive and has so much promise and so much charm.

Terroir

Landonne, Chavaroche, Rozier, Les Rochains

Ageing

New barrel. Tronçais and Allier.

Tasting

This is a great expression of the Terroir of the Côte Brune, at once mineral and floral. Dark and concentrated it is reminiscent of the great Côte-Rôtie of yesteryear!

Alcohol content

13%

Bottling

Without fining and filtration

Cépages

Serine
Syrah

A sleek, racy, almost taut style, with red currant, loganberry and pomegranate notes that slowly flesh out, showing more plum and blackberry hints. Then dark ganache and briar take over on the finish and help it expand even more. Should blossom in the cellar.

James Molesworth
Wine Spectator , 94/100 , 2012-10-31

Inky ruby. Sexy, oak-spiced aromas of cherry-vanilla, woodsmoke, olive tapenade and potpourri. Then sappy, energetic and youthfully lithe, with excellent verve to its black and blue fruit compote, violet and candied licorice flavors. This youthfully taut, focused wine finishes very long and vibrant, with firm minerality and lingering dark fruit notes.

Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzers International Wine Cellar , 92-94/100 , 2012-04-01

A blend from La Landonne, Chavaroche, Rozier and Les Rochains apparently with an average age of more than 50 years, billed as ‘reminiscent of the great Côte Rôtie of yesteryear!’ Mid to dark crimson. Rather heavier than the Côte Rôtie norm; arguably more Guigal than Jamet. Big and blustering; persuades more by mass than by finesse. Lots of still very awkward tannins on the finish. Bone dry but there is nothing ethereal about this. Very drying finish.

Jancis Robinson , 17/20 , 2011-11-28