Bottled in February of 2021, the 2017 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is a seamless, exotic, perfumed, full-bodied effort that offers a classic floral character in its ripe black raspberry and blackberry fruit as well as notes of spice box, espresso, and chocolate. Co-fermented with roughly 10% Viognier, it’s all about gorgeous fruit and texture, and this cuvée has that rare ability to bring incredible richness and depth with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for 20-25 years. This reminds me slightly of the 2011 as well as the 2007.

Saturated violet. Ripe, spice- and mineral-tinged red and blue fruits, incense, vanilla and strong violet notes are highlighted on the exotically perfumed nose. Sappy, penetrating and lively on the palate, showing impressive delineation and spicy lift to its blueberry, kirsch, floral pastille and cola flavors. Distinctly lively in character, especially in the context of the vintage, finishing with impressive power, polished tannins and echoing spice, mineral and floral notes. As usual, this wine was aged for 42 months in new French oak barrels that were coopered at Guigal. JR

The 2017 Cote Rotie La Mouline has developed quickly and is already approachable—although I wouldn't be surprised to see it close down shortly, only to emerge even better a decade from now. Complex, charming scents of jasmine, sandalwood, raspberries and stone fruit appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is silky-textured, with a long, plush finish. JC

Beautifully Blonde in style, with macadamia nut and tobacco notes to the raspberry fruit. Very fine tannins on the palate, good acidity, and there's some density and body from the vintage and the Viognier. Good length, that's elongated by a subtle mineral note and resinous aspect from the fruit and oak. Just a little drying note on the tip of the tongue. You can enjoy this now, but this will age well too. The oak regime is robust - 40 months in new barriques. It's applied with skill and care, and is a strongly noticeable part of the wine. Lieu-dit Côte Blonde, from the Blonde side (gneiss bedrock). Drinking Window 2021 - 2032
Tasted by Matt Walls (at Home office, 01 Sep 2021)
Part of Walls: Brune and blonde soils in Côte-Rôtie - do they really make all the difference?