Description

Rene Rostaing worked in real estate but saw the light in 1971. In 2000 he started working on Domaine Rene Rostaing exclusively and now has 7.4 hectare within Cote-Rotie. He makes old, early picked wines making use of stems, only small amounts of new oak and bottled without fining or filtration. These wines are detailed and elegant, showing the sheer power of Syrah on the roasted slope. He wants you to age his wines and you will be rewarded if you do.

Cote Blonde uses 5% viognier and 50-65% stems. Of the range, this is the exotic and pretty one. It is also the smallest production with only 350 cases of this wine made at best.

Cote Rotie – The roasted slope. It is the rockstar region of the Northern Rhone which specialises in Syrah occasionally supported by some Viognier. The traditional wines tend to be lean, bony, savoury while the modern wines are ripe, powerful and oaky. Both styles tend to command a high price.

Shiraz/Syrah – A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on terroir and/or wine maker influence. The Syrah based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere while the Shiraz of Barossa is rich and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution.

2011 – A cooler year, not for blockbusters.