Côte Rôtie “Côteaux de Bassenon” AOC 2020

Côteaux de Bassenon is a Côte Rôtie from 40 % Serine, 40 % Syrah and 20 % Viognier. The vineyard was planted in 1896 and replanted in 1989. The vines are on steep slopes on migmatite, granite and biotite. The yield is extremely low, between 15 and 20 hl/ha. The wines are produced in the spirit of Jules Chauvet after a cool 24-hour pre-fermentation with a cool carbonic maceration over 20 days and aged for 24 months in used oak barrels sourced from Tronçais. The wine was not filtered or fined and only minimally sulphured.

dark purple with violet reflections and black core

If you dip your nose into the glass with the Côteaux de Bassenon you involuntarily get the feeling that you have something in your glass that is dense, concentrated, barely liquid. It has an intense aroma of elderberries, sloes, plums, blackberries and violets. There are also hints of smoke and charcoal, bresaola, pumpernickel, some leather and dark fermented tobacco. The more air and time you give the wine at this youthful stage, the deeper and more complex it becomes.  

On the palate the Côteaux de Bassenon just as complex as in the fragrance, except that here it is revealed that the compression has only taken place aromatically. De facto the wine flows calmly and steadily across the palate with a lively acidity and a stunningly fine tannin. The flavours here are also inspiringly complex. It opens with notes of violet pastilles, which combine with juniper and aniseed. Then there is an increasing garrigue spice, some mocha with cardamom, smoked meat and dark, ripe fruit, which is intense and extracts sweet but not compote-like. On the contrary, there is a deep minerality that brings a lot of energy and vibrancy to this still very young wine. Côte-Rôtie brings.