Côte-Rôtie Shining in
Unmediated Glory
2010 Jamet Côte-Rôtie
Classicism in the Northern Rhône
In 2012, a large number of people (re)discovered the Northern Rhone. To start off 2013, I'd like to continue the fascination with an offer of Jamet's stunning 2010 Côte Rôtie.
It's hard to imagine a better time for the interest in the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône. 2010 is an ideal ambassador for the elegance and transparency that the region is capable of.
The region has seen plenty of great vintages recently. 2005 was all about power, ripeness and tannic grip; 2009 was defined by fruity, supple concentration. But 2010 is thrilling in its purity, its detail and in the clarity with which it shows what makes the traditional wines of the Northern Rhone so special.
Côte-Rôtie is known for being the most finessed, nimble and Burgundian of the Northern Rhône. There is currently no producer in the region that epitomizes Côte-Rôtie with as much classicism, with as much precision as Jamet. And, in 2010, Jamet just killed it.
People have re-discovered just how profound, how soulful the wines of the Northern Rhone can be. While much of the attention has gone to the long retired grand old masters of the Northern Rhone - Gentaz-Dervieux, Verset, Trollat, etc. - people have also turned their attention to traditionalists working today. We've chronicled many of them here - Allemand, Clape, Levet, Gonon, etc.
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Today, we present Jamet's 2010 Côte-Rôtie - the only bottles currently available in the U.S. It's very rare to have the opportunity to offer Jamet Côte-Rôtie in quantity, especially from a great and low-yielding vintage like 2010.
The Jamet brothers are blessed with owning some of Côte Rôtie's greatest sites. The Rhône expert, John Livingstone-Learmonth, sums it up nicely when he writes, "A lot of people would give their right arm to possess even a fraction of this family's vineyards."
The greatness of their sites, the strength of the family's winemaking really shined a few weeks ago in a tasting of wines from Clape, Jamet, Gentaz-Dervieux and Verset from 1988-91. Along with Verset, Jamet was most people's favorite, including Crush Managing Partner, Robert Schagrin.
It was nice to hear that Jamet essentially stole the show that night. Those were the wines of Jean-Paul and Jean-Luc Jamet's father, but the brothers have largely maintained the domaine's traditionalist bent. There are few traditionalists left in Côte-Rôtie and prices for Gentaz have exploded hitting four-figures.
2010 has all the markings of a historical vintage for the Northern Rhône. As I mentioned above, the vintage is striking in its purity. Above all, there's a harmony, an acid backbone and a great combination of concentration and detail. All of this bodes very well for aging.
Jamet's pure, archetypal style excelled in 2010. It's a gorgeous wine of red fruits and flowers seamlessly integrated with savory notes of spice, olives and a depth of minerality. The quality of tannins are just stunning - they're silken and polished.
I feel like I haven't done Jamet's 2010 Côte-Rôtie justice, so let me close by saying that people who value finesse, subtlety and soil-imprinted wines shouldn't miss this. In 2010, Jamet's Côte-Rôtie shines in such unmediated glory. This level of beauty and success is rare.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
2010 Jamet Côte-Rôtie
Special Email Bottle Price: $109.95
No compare at pricing available
Josh Raynolds: "First presented in components: Sample #1, from Lancement: Bright, floral and spicy, with intense red fruit character and a silky texture. Shows excellent energy on the finish. #2, from Gerine: 100% whole clusters here; spice-accented black and blue fruits and a suave floral quality. Offers a blend of richness and vivacity, with supple tannins coming on late. #3, mostly from Fongeant: Intense blackberry and cherry character, with a hint of candied violet. Shows good focus and gentle tannic grip on the back. #4, from Le Plomb: Explosive dark fruit liqueur and floral aromas and flavors, with a subtle note of exotic spices and building minerality. Rich but lively, finishing with excellent clarity. #5, from Mornachon: Ripe cherry and dark fruits on the nose, with a smoky overtone. Rich and supple, with deep blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors and solid finishing punch. #6, a blend of Moutonne and Chavaroche: Sexy floral- and spice-accented red berries and bitter cherry on the nose and palate. Juicy and precise, with intense florality on the finish. #7, mostly La Landonne, with some Cote Blonde and Cote Rozier: Shows a wild array of dark fruit and floral qualities, with smoke, licorice and mace accents. Broad and pliant, with excellent finishing thrust and clarity. Jamet then made a hypothetical final blend: Opaque ruby. Heady aromas of red and dark berry preserves, Asian spices, anise and minerals, with a touch of mocha. Completely stains the palate with sweet black raspberry, blueberry and violet pastille flavors, with a firm core of minerality adding lift and cut. A bright, extremely persistent finish features suave spicecake and floral qualities, along with powerful berry and cherry notes."
Special Email 4-Pack Price: $423.80 ($105.95)
2010 Jamet Côte-Rôtie is prearrival!
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