La Vialliere Côte-Rôtie

Very impressive with a slightly dialed-back oak influence (back to 60% from 100% new demi-muid), this has a beautifully rich nose with dark-cherry and chocolate aromas in a fresh, attractive mode. The palate has a reasonably dense feel to the tannins. A very sleek and fine, juicy and long feel here. So fleshy with so much blackberry and black cherry fruit. Best from 2025. J.S.

James Suckling - October 2019

Smoky tobacco and charred vanilla notes accent pure, lip smacking notes of cassis and blueberry pastilles here. A full bodied, supple expression of Côte-Rôtie vinified fully destemmed and matured in 100% new French oak, it’s an extravagant, toffee-kissed sip accentuated by fine, pillowy tannins. Approachable young but likely to improve through 2030 and hold futher still. —A.I.

Wine Enthusiast - November 2021

Glass-staining ruby. Deeply perfumed dark berry, floral, smoky mineral and olive scents show excellent clarity and a hint of candied licorice. Sweet, palate-staining blackberry, cherry preserve and floral pastille flavors put on weight with air and take on a spicy quality on the back half. Rich but lively as well, delivering firm tension on an impressively persistent, mineral-tinged finish that features fine tannins and a sexy floral note.

Vinous - April 2020

This comes from a parcel just below Les Grandes Places, the source of the Gerins’ top wine. Destemmed, macerated for a month, and aged in new 500-liter oak barrels for nearly two years, the wine is dark, rich and suave, with plenty of chocolatey fruit to fill out the smoky oak. Rather than feeling modern in its massive build, it feels Old World, evoking mahogany-paneled libraries and pipe tobacco in its scents, all with the feel of crushed velvet. Give it time in the bottle and the brambly fruit and cool mineral tones should come forward.

Wine & Spirits - February 2021