2010 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie Les Journaries / Maestria- France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (2/25/2022)
Earthy, black pepper on the nose, fruit is both bright and brooding/dark, packed with iodine, green olive, saline - not as powerful and with as much presence as a 2010 Gonon but still grippy and interesting. Has a leafy earth component I really like, and a crazy long finish. It comes across as a large, strong person well appointed in formal wear, simultaneously powerful and polished, but with a hint of pizazz. Syrah is really fascinating in how many different styles and executions can come of this grape based on location, soil, vintage, winemaker, winemaking style, etc.
Enjoyed with a spectacular Morgan Ranch Private Reserve ribeye, and I’ll post those pics in the ‘steak porn’ thread
Thanks for the awesome note Todd. Love Levet and seems like this one was in a great spot. Have couple of '10 Peroline/La Chavaroche that I want to see where it’s at and hope it’s similar to this!
I’ve read various notes here from people who think it is nowhere near ready, and those who are enjoying it as much as I am at the moment. I don’t think you can go wrong either way
Sigh. Seems like Todd was staring at his avatar as he typed this.
Love this note, and this wine. Seems like many folks that buy Levet predominantly focus on La Chavaroche. Les Journaries is mighty fine in its own right. More transparent and perfumed, and often more approachable. I normally buy both in most vintages.
It’s an interesting comparison to Gonon. Gonon always has that intensity, but I personally think Levet’s wines (especially as they approach maturity) are at another level of simultaneous complexity and elegance without sacrificing intensity/palate presence. Whether that’s dirt / winemaking / etc., not sure.
I was trying to say something similar above, hope it came through. 2010 Gonon St Joseph is one wine I’ve had quite a few of, and still have a couple more (but haven’t tried it in years). Gonon St Joe is darker, richer fruited, much more meat and dirt - perhaps more one-dimensional but in a wonderful way. Levet has much more elegance on the palate and complexity/uniqueness of flavor profiles to me.
Opened a '09 Les Journaries tonight after being inspired by Todd’s note. It’s definitely richer than other '10 Northern Rhones I had (perhaps that’s the characteristic of '09 vintage?). Less wild/feral than Chavaroche/Peroline, but still got that distinctive Levet nose. Palate wise, brooding dark fruit, iodine, bit of chocolate and somewhat reductive. Overall very enjoyable but would have preferred bit more acidity and wildness.
Fragrant nose of smoke, iodine, brine and moist sous bois with a slight hint of decaying organic matter. Definitely some dank funk. Rusty wet iron. Seared game meats. Massive structure to this wine, gobs of acid and still some tannins. As you get past that wall, there actually is fruit here. A broad range of red to dark fruits, black olive brine, earth, leather and sweat. If a wine were a Viking, perhaps a Berserker, Levet is it. It’s the Orkney Island Scotch (Highland Park) of wine. A fantastic wine. Have not touched the La Chavaroche in this backward vintage. Given this showing, with this wine easily needing another five years, I’m thinking La Chav needs ten.
Great notes, gents. Robert, I hear you on the scotch reference, but I’d say it’s more an Islay malt, maybe even as wild as Ardbeg. Spirit nerd detour concluded.
This was an inside joke. Jorge’s wife reps Highkand Park. And the Orkney Islands were invaded and occupied by Vikings, so worked with the narrative. I think you know I’ve called it the Islay Malt of wine before. It is.
