Georges Vernay Cote-Rotie Blonde du Seigneur 2018
- Decanter
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This blonde-style Cote-Rotie with 5% viognier, is the perfect blend of intensity and delicacy. A dark color with mineral smoky aromas along with dark fruits, black olive and pepper, which are enhanced by a floral
component from the Viognier. This is a highly aromatic and elegant wine. Well-rounded on the palate with perfectly smooth tannins and a beautiful, long finish. Smooth and sensual.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Classically Blonde in expression, lifted and fragrant, with raspberry, macadamia and sandalwood. Light-bodied, very fine tannins, lovely acidity, such a drinkable wine, a Côte-Rôtie of great elegance and lifted freshness. Exceptional winemaking skill on display. Lieux-dits Semons, Lancement and Maison Rouge, all on the Blonde side. Mostly destemmed, matured in Stockinger foudres and barriques (25% new).
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Less aromatic and nuanced but more powerful than the 2019 version, the 2018 Cote Rotie Blonde du Seigneur is full-bodied, supple and rich, with ample black cherry and blackberry fruit, a velvety mouthfeel and a long, mouthwatering finish. It's still a delicious mouthful of Cote Rotie that should drink well for more than a decade. Best After 2021
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A pioneer in the renewal of the Condrieu appellation, Domaine Georges Vernay has always made wines of unique style, notable for their finesse, elegance and harmony. The property has become a major emblem of Rhone Valley winegrowing, from the time when Georges Vernay saved the Condrieu appellation to the international awards earned by Christine Vernay’s Côte-Rôtie. Three generations have left the mark of the philosophy on the estate, while perpetuating its traditions in the greatest respect for both vines and winegrowers.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
The cultivation of vines here began with Greek settlers who arrived in 600 BC. Its proximity to Vienne was important then and also when that city became a Roman settlement but its situation, far from the negociants of Tain, led to its decline in more modern history. However the 1990s brought with it a revival fueled by one producer, Marcel Guigal, who believed in the zone’s potential. He, along with the critic, Robert Parker, are said to be responsible for the zone’s later 20th century renaissance.
Where the Rhone River turns, there is a build up of schist rock and a remarkable angle that produces slopes to maximize the rays of the sun. Cote Rotie remains one of the steepest in viticultural France. Its varied slopes have two designations. Some are dedicated as Côte Blonde and others as Côte Brune. Syrahs coming from Côte Blonde are lighter, more floral, and ready for earlier consumption—they can also include up to 20% of the highly scented Viognier. Those from Côte Brune are more sturdy, age-worthy and are typically nearly 100% Syrah. Either way, a Cote Rotie is going to have a particularly haunting and savory perfume, expressing a more feminine side of the northern Rhone.