Deep bright-rimmed ruby. Ripe black and blue fruit and floral scents, accompanied by olive and exotic spice and incense notes. Fleshy and concentrated yet lively as well, offering sweet, smoke-tinged cassis and blackberry flavors and a touch of candied violet. The spice and floral notes come back on a very long, penetrating finish framed by smooth, harmonious tannins.

Gérard's 2015 Cote Rotie (tasted from a 375-milliliter bottle) is in a good place right now. Dense, concentrated and creamy textured, it evokes the vintage's warm character, delivering black cherries and black olives in equal measure. Full-bodied and velvety in feel, it might lack a bit of elegance, but it delivers plenty of flavor. Drink it over the next decade.

I suspect the finest wine I’ve tasted from this estate, the 2015 Côte Rôtie comes from four terroirs: Mollard, Viallière, la Brosse and la Landonne. Mostly destemmed (70%) and aged in 20% new oak, it has beautifully pure cassis, black raspberry, liquid violet, wood smoke and green olive aromas and flavors. More nuanced and complex than rich and unctuous, it still offers medium to full-bodied richness, sweet tannin and a great finish.

Cask sample. Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Low-key nose. Round and velvety on the palate. Already with massive fruit on the front palate and some fine tannins on the end. Nicely done. Texture is all! But there is considerable length too. (JR)