Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 27/12/2012

The largest cuvee (20,000 bottles) is the 2010 Cote Rotie Classique, Stephane Ogier’s “greatest vintage to date.” Seventy percent of the fruit comes from their holdings on the Cote Brune. It boasts a dense purple color along with a sweet nose of asphalt, licorice, forest floor, blackberries, cassis and bouquet garni, sensational concentration and sweet tannins. The structure, freshness and minerality suggest another 3-4 years of cellaring may be beneficial. It has 25 years of potential evolution.

Stephane Ogier, tall and blond with rugged, Brad Pitt-like good looks, is the next generation of young, ambitious, well-traveled children from family-owned estates. Learning his trade and working next to his father, who is now fully retired, Stephane Ogier has moved confidently and dramatically to expand this estate from the Cote Rotie holdings to their vineyards that go into La Rosine and those from Seyssuel that go into l’Ame Soeur. He has also added a St-Joseph cuvee from a small parcel of vines in Malleval, next to his Condrieu holdings. Moreover, readers should not forget the recent white wine offerings from Ogier. The great success for the 2011s is attributable, as Ogier says, to harvesting seven days later than just about everyone else in Cote Rotie, in addition to aggressive green harvesting and farming practices in the vineyards. This is evident across the board as these are some of the finest 2011s I tasted in the Northern Rhone. Ogier has 12 separate Cote Rotie parcels spread along the hillsides of the Cote Blonde and Cote Brune. The 2011s were harvested between September 16 and October 8, and because of Ogier’s conservative farming practices as well as the courage it took to wait to harvest until after the rains, the quality of the fruit is outstanding. The 2010s are all remarkable wines at Ogier. Stephane Ogier also deserves accolades for what he has been able to achieve with his white wine program since he began it in 2007. There are now three cuvees, all outstanding.

Inky purple. Cassis, candied cherry and red berry skin aromas are lifted by an intense floral note. Supple and appealingly sweet, with spicecake and floral nuances adding complexity to the sappy red berry flavors. Youthfully taut but very pure. Finishes very long, with silky, harmonious tannins and lingering flavors of red fruits and licorice pastille.

As always this Côte Rôtie is a blend of grapes sourced from both Côtes and several lieux-dits. Likely to be quite a bit of new oak here. Deep garnet. Smells dark and savoury and refined. Perfumed, peppery and elegant. Very long. (JH)

Dark ruby with a pale rim. Floral and fragrant. Lots of satisfaction here. Very limpid and energetic. (JR)