A more long term prospect, the 2013 C?te R?tie les Grandes Places is 100% Syrah that saw an extended elevage in new oak. Masculine, meaty, mineral-laced and loaded with notions of charcoal, smoked duck and black currants, this inky/opaque-colored, medium to full-bodied, structured C?te R?tie needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will have two or more decades of overall longevity. This lieu-dit always yields a big, structured wine and at times, I think it is almost too firm and masculine for its own good.

The 2012 C?te R?tie les Grandes Places is a beauty, and despite seeing over three years in oak, it’s absorbed almost every trace of its elevage. Plums, smoked meats, violets and graphite give way to a plump, fruit loaded and voluptuous C?te R?tie that has excellent mid-palate depth, lots of sweet tannin and a great finish. While it’s reasonably approachable now, it will still benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and hold through 2032.

The 2011 Cote Rotie les Grandes Places, which was just bottled after spending 34.5 months in new oak, is a forward, sexy effort that gives up lots of black raspberry, cassis, spring flowers and savory spice. Medium to full-bodied, textured and already approachable, drink it over the coming decade or more.

Easily the star of the lineup, the 2010 C?te R?tie Les Grandes Places is like the 2009, only more fresh, pure, delineated and focused. Loaded with notes of crème de cassis and black raspberry fruit that’s intermixed with notions of spring flowers, licorice, chocolate-dusted meats and toasted bread, this beauty flows onto the palate with full-bodied richness, no hard edges and ultra-fine tannin. Drink this awesome C?te R?tie anytime over the coming two decades.

A blockbuster C?te R?tie, the 2009 C?te R?tie Les Grandes Places has awesome notes of crème de cassis and blackcurrants supported by ample crushed rock, licorice and smoked earth-like nuances. A big, rich, full-bodied effort, it has terrific purity, building tannin and nicely integrated acidity, all of which allow it to shine even today. Nevertheless, it should age gracefully for another 15-20 years or more.