FRENCH WINE

ROBERT PARKER 97-99 POINTS:-"The inky black-colored 2013 Côte Rôtie La Landonne is certainly one of the gems in the vintage, and it has more texture, depth and richness than just about every other wine out there. Charred fruits, black, black fruits, espresso, crushed rock and wood smoke all emerge from this full-bodied, concentrated Côte Rôtie that certainly shows a masculine style, yet still possesses incredible purity and elegance."

WINE ADVOCATE 98-100 POINTS - "Jaboulet's 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle features scents of crushed stone, violets and cassis. It's a classic trio, backed by a wine that's full-bodied, rich and powerful yet also airy, somehow carrying intense plum and black olive flavors without any sense of heaviness or excess weight. Then the wine finishes long and softly dusty, with tannins that accentuate its savory character, picking up delicious hints of licorice at the very end. The proportion of new oak has been trimmed back to a very reasonable 20% and is hardly noticeable in the wine."

JEB DUNNUCK 97-99 POINTS - "A deep, powerful, primordial wine (which is exactly what you’d expect for a great vintage of this cuvée), the inky hued 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle offers tons of crème de cassis as well as a liquid rock-like minerality, peppery herbs, burning embers, and graphite aromas and flavors. The palate mirrors the intensity of the bouquet and is full-bodied, concentrated, and tight, yet still packs a huge amount of baby fat. The 2018 is a beautifully pure, balanced, massively endowed La Chapelle that will need a decade of cellaring and keep for 3-4 decades with no problems."

WINE ADVOCATE 96-99 POINTS - Marked by hints of mint and herbal tea on the nose, the 2018 Côte Rôtie Côte Brune is another terrific effort from this parcel of vines that was replanted in 2000. Raspberries and blueberries surge forward on the medium to full-bodied palate, building in richness and complexity on the firm, palate-coating finish."