Jay Kline

9.7

Real talk: I’m a little embarrassed to admit that this is my first experience with the wines of Domaine Champet. When I consider that their approach to winemaking is philosophically aligned with my own preferences, how did this meeting not happen before now? Maybe it’s because they only make 1000 cases of wine a year? Maybe it’s because I live in Nebraska. Whatever the reason, it no longer matters because I have now experienced what cannot be undone. For a bit of reference, the family has a rather rich, (Romain and Maxime are 4th generation), history working with vines in the “La Viallière” lieu-dit in the Côte Brune. “La Viallière” was made famous thanks to Dervieux (yes, as in Gentaz-Dervieux). The land is…improbable to farm…with some slopes close to 60°. Everything is performed by hand. This bottling, “Les Fils à Jo” focuses on the old vines from their holdings in “La Viallière”.

Popped and poured; consumed over 5 days, best on days 3-5 and the following notes reflect such. The wine pours a deep ruby with a near opaque core and pretty significant staining of the tears. Medium+ viscosity and every so slightly turbid. On the nose, blue and black fruits with bacon fat, lavender, kalamata olive, a whisper of baking spices…some white pepper, some tobacco…wild and beguiling. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium++ tannin and medium+ acid. Incredible texture. Confirming the fruit set and other aforementioned characteristics. There’s blueberry scone and an iron-ore kind of thing going "On and on and on, on and on and on; Checka checka it out, to the breaka breaka dawn". The finish is long…as in forever…and absolutely, positively divine. If tonight is any indication, this wine will drink well past 2040. Between the Levet’s and Champet’s, there are very few in Côte Rôtie making wines like this anymore. What is certain, is that this was one of those experiences where there was a time before, and a time after Champet. Certainly one of those I won’t ever forget. — 3 days ago

Vanessa

8.9

Walla Walla, yum!!

This lovely wine offers notes of blueberry, plum, blackberry preserves, black cherry, licorice, anise, peppercorn, violet, green bell pepper, black olive, bacon, peat moss, and pipe tobacco.

It has 12.5% ABV. Its vintage is 2016. — 2 days ago

with Deked1

Mario Vaillancourt

9.0

Un CDR 100% Syrah avec du fruit à revendre, gourmand, généreux et juteux. Belle longueur, sera meilleur dans 2-3 ans.

A very good CDR, juicy, generous with nice balance and length. 2-3 years of cellaring will help too. — 17 hours ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Deep ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Showing black fruits with light wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, violets, herbs and peppercorn.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

This is a delicious Syrah from Walla Walla Valley in Washington State. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Spicy and rich.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime, when tannins show up. Gets earthier as it opens up with bitter vegetables and tar.

Even smoother after 2 hours of airtime. I did not decant it and left it in the bottle to open up.

Robert Parker 95 points.
Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

Fruit forward with good structure, and a beautiful aromatic nose.

I paired it with a delicious burger.

100% Syrah grapes were aged in 40% new oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 12 hours ago

with Scott

Andrew Schirmer

9.8

An absolute stunner that evolved over three hours at a lunch with some very special people. Game meats, blood, & violets, all drawn together in an ethereal structure, at once weightless and yet profound. The burgundy comparisons are inevitable, but this is its own thing entirely. Extraordinary. — 5 hours ago

with Geoff and Alsu

Josh Morgenthau

9.0

Juicy and bloody, soy, beef jerky, dried cherry, tomato fruit and leaf. Leaf litter and the aromas of forest decomposition. More savory than fruity. Has a rustic elegance and intensity I really appreciate, but the style is a bridge too far for me. — 2 days ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

A few hours in the decanter served well to reveal what my favorite La La is all about. Finessed, elegant and seductive with complex aromatics of blackberry jam, campfire smoke, exotic spices, bacon fat and violets. It expands on the palate with great intensity, a caressing silky texture and a long and vibrant finish. Still young. — 3 days ago

Matt

9.6

What a smoke show! Completely different animal than LBT. Density, sinew, complex and savory perfume, length and balance given the ripeness. Open for business for sure. Chewy black cherry, plum, licorice, bacon fat, leather, garrigue, cured meat, tar, wood smoke, lavender pastille. Mouthfulling and rich, warm and heady, there’s some incredibly alluring barrel back notes but it’s deft and integrated. Great use of stems here, just enough to prop the wine up and add layers of spice. — 9 days ago

Aravind A

9.3

Pop and pour. Much more open than I expected. On the nose: blackberry, cola, olive brine, soft game, violets. On the palate: lovely acidity, red fruit, hi-toned, lightweight, but good density.. Nice tang on the bright finish, which shows soft tannin. Loads of potential. — 2 days ago

vinokeeno

9.4

2019 vintage. Fragrant nose of lavender, crushed violets, ripe black plum, gray sea salt and charcoal. Medium body. Initially comes across as pretty and polished vs chunky and rustic but the big tobacco notes on the finish drag it squarely into the center of the ring for now. — 5 days ago