Domaine Stephane Ogier "La Rosine" (syrah) red 2018

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski, mai 2021) : 90/100. The 2018 La Rosine Syrah blends scents of licorice, tapenade, cola and plums on the nose, revealing substantial complexity. Medium to full-bodied, it shows excellent ripeness on the palate, silky tannins and ample length on the mouthwatering finish. It's a terrific introduction to Stéphane Ogier's range of Syrahs from the Northern Rhône. Drink date 2021-2025.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski, déc. 2019) : 89-91/100. The 2018 La Rosine Syrah hints at violets and tar on the nose, then delivers fleshy purple fruits on the medium to full-bodied palate. It's plump and silky, perhaps a bit too soft to be truly profound, but it should prove easy to drink over the short term. Drink date 2019-2023.

My visit to Domaine Stéphane Ogier occurred the week before many of the 2017s were to be bottled, giving a good view of the wines before they went through the trauma of bottling and (potentially) shut down. It's a vintage that Ogier likes. "We can feel it's a warm year like 2009, but we don't have the powerful tannins like in 2015. Seventeen was more balanced in terms of weather.… It's in the style of 2016 but more charming, more finesse, with a step up in terms of density and intensity over '16." As Ogier owns numerous parcels across the entire slope of Côte Rôtie, barrel-tasting here is challenging but fun and instructive, with Ogier bouncing from barrel to barrel, climbing high into the stacks to pull various samples from his different lieux-dits. The oak seems toned down in recent years, or perhaps the fruit is more assertive. "We could say God is with us the last four years," said Ogier.