Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côte-Rôtie Domaines Les Pierrelles Bio 2016

A rich and layered red with a sweet and silky middle plate. Spices, black pepper and smoked meat.

Even better than I thought last year from barrel, the 2016 Cote Rotie Domaine des Pierrelles is all about elegance and finesse. Hints of cracked pepper and cured meat accent raspberries and cherries in this medium-bodied, silky offering that's ready to drink now, yet it should last for at least a decade.

Brought up all in demi-muids (they started doing 100% demi-muids in 2015), the 2016 Côte Rôtie Les Pierrelles offers a fresh, vibrant, downright pretty style in its black raspberries, crushed rocks, violets, and floral aromas and flavors. It has medium-bodied richness, plenty of underlying grip, beautiful tension, and outstanding length. It shows the fresher, more elegant and classic style of the vintage nicely.

Nez profond, note minérale légèrement fumée, la bouche est ronde avec déjà une dimension voluptueuse mais il n’offre pas toute la longueur ni la densité attendues dans l’appellation.