TN: Rene Rostaing 2004 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde

WINE TALK
1

After Jamet comes Rostaing and Ogier in my personal ranking of my favorite wines of Cote Rotie. And my favorite Rostaing cuvee always seems to be the Cote Blonde, which IMO is more graceful and complex than his other wines. I’d like to meet Monsieur Rostaing in his cellar someday to help me get a better handle on his wines. I sometimes feel that Rostaing’s wines are Parisian businessman dressed up in boots and jeans, and other times I feel they are Ampuis vigneron who has donned a tuxedo for the occasion. Either way, I liked this 2004 a lot…

Rene Rostaing 2004 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde
Full red color. Shy nose w/ floral note (perhaps honeysuckle) and a clean, refined redention of Cote Rotie. But the palate is full, generous, complex, and balanced. Very refined, there is no gamey side, no harsh tannins. But this is complex and graceful, floral, side-of-bacon, earth. A Burg lovers wine for its grace and harmony, and I have no idea how true Rhone Valley mavens regard this wine or this vintage in Cote Rotie. Outstanding, and maybe upside potential if the nose should open up a little more??

2

Here we are in total agreement - although it vm depends on the vintage … e.g. I´m not that happy with Jamet after 2000/01 anymore …

2004 was not an exceptional vintage in Cote-Rotie, so this wine is a fine success, but shows the soft (and slightly diluted) side of the vintage (in the sense that it isn´t concentrated as 2003, 1999 etc.).

René was very happy indeed with it - and he prefers it to 2003, as he prefers 2001 to 2000 and 1998 to 1999 … very much in contrast to my preferences - but that doesn´t matter since I buy and bought every vintage since 1988.

He is indeed a real gentleman, but one who puts on his boots and climbs the steep vineyards in Cote-Rotie whenever necessary. Your chances to be received are not bad since he almost never receives French visitors (once a wine-geek from Lyon had to join ME to be accepted!), but is very open to foreign lovers of Cote-Rotie.
(if necessary mention my name …)

3

Thank you. I’m excited as this is the last year I could afford this wine.

4

Gerhard, what 's up with Jamet after 2001? Frankly, my purchases of Cote Rotie pretty much ended with 2001, except for a few bottles of Rostaing’s Cote Blonde in '04 and '05, and a few Jamet '05 which I have not tasted yet. So I’m interested in what changes are going on there, and why as well.

My love of Cote Rotie began with Jamet when the 1983 vintage was released (and reviewed by R Parker incidently). My bottles from the 1980’s are gone, plan to open my last 1991 this year, what a great wine that is. And I have a good supply of '98, '99, and '01 plus just 3 bots of the '05.

As to vintages, I have not yet decided between '98 and '99, but do agree with M. Rostaing’s opinion on the other pairs you mentioned. Thanks for the offer of help to visit the domaine.

5

Reg. Jamet I have no idea why, but the last really great vintage was 1999 IMHO. 2000, a lighter vintage, was good, 2001 at least concentrated and intense but very structured (on the border of unbalanced) and (still) in need of time … so we´ll see … (2002 a weak vintage and not tasted),
but 2003, 2004 and 2006 certainly less concentrated, lacking a bit of definition and kind of “harmless” to me …
2005 not yet tasted, but I have a single bottle.
1991 CB I´m going to taste again in 2 weeks in my CR-Guigal tasting.

Rostaings CBlonde 1999 is one of the single greatest Cote-Roties produced … and the LL no sparrow either … [wow.gif]