From a great terroir in the northern part of Côte Rôtie, the 2020 Côte Rôtie Le Viallière is another perfumed, mineral-laced 2020, offering a beautiful nose of darker raspberries, camphor, violets, woodsmoke, and grilled bread. Possessing huge minerality, it's medium to full-bodied, has a tight, compact mouthfeel, lots of tannins, and a great finish. It needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for 7-8 years if possible.

While this vineyard suffered immensely from frost in the spring of 2021, the 2020 Cote Rotie la Viaillere looks amazing. Marked by vibrant, intense notes of purple raspberries and violets, this is full-bodied, rich and velvety, with wonderfully fine tannins and a nearly never-ending finish. While La Viallière is not my favorite lieu-dit, this is truly special. JC