Domaine Champet
Les Fils à Jo Côte-Rôtie Syrah
Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhône, Rhône, France
Popped and poured; enjoyed over several hours. The 2020 Champet “Les Fils à Jo” pours a deep purple color with a magenta rim and a nearly opaque core. Medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, whoa…all. of. the. berries. There are also black plums with some cigar box, new leather, lavender, bacon fat and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium+ tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. Finish long and super spicy with a generous helping of black pepper. Even though this is super primary, the quality is on display which makes this a fun wine to try in its youth. That being said, this is built for the long haul and to my palate, the best is yet to come. Best after 2030 and should be great well past 2045.
Popped and poured; enjoyed over several hours. The 2020 Champet “Les Fils à Jo” pours a deep purple color with a magenta rim and a nearly opaque core. Medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, whoa…all. of. the. berries. There are also black plums with some cigar box, new leather, lavender, bacon fat and spices. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium+ tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes on the nose. Finish long and super spicy with a generous helping of black pepper. Even though this is super primary, the quality is on display which makes this a fun wine to try in its youth. That being said, this is built for the long haul and to my palate, the best is yet to come. Best after 2030 and should be great well past 2045.
Jul 9th, 2023
Sick wine. Opened after 15 Gonon was corked. Wild nose. Game. Blackberry. Olive. Dark violets. Palate is sweet, succulent and super tangy with great freshness and purity. Amazing tiny berry concentrated fruit and impeccable balance. Nose now coming into focus with lovely high toned violets, red and blackberry and even some cassis. This is truly wonderful. Terrific concentration and layering. Awesome fruit on this and wonderful minerality. Profound in every sense of the word. Super and very very complex.
Sick wine. Opened after 15 Gonon was corked. Wild nose. Game. Blackberry. Olive. Dark violets. Palate is sweet, succulent and super tangy with great freshness and purity. Amazing tiny berry concentrated fruit and impeccable balance. Nose now coming into focus with lovely high toned violets, red and blackberry and even some cassis. This is truly wonderful. Terrific concentration and layering. Awesome fruit on this and wonderful minerality. Profound in every sense of the word. Super and very very complex.
Dec 25th, 2021Real 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.
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.
Palate is young. Tannic.
Palate is young. Tannic.
1 person found it helpfulSep 7th, 2021Owner and founder of C. T. Bucklin Wine Advising
Not nearly as radiant as La Vialliere. Dominated by new oak and much more fleshy and flabby.
Not nearly as radiant as La Vialliere. Dominated by new oak and much more fleshy and flabby.
Mar 9th, 2019