The ONE Wine You Simply MUST Buy: 2016 Jasmin Côte Rôtie for Ridiculously Short Money
Posted on: 01/17/19 6:58 PM
Who doesn’t like Côte Rôtie? Meaty, smoky, savory and yet elegant. The wines have an irresistible seductive quality that is impossible to let pass by. They age for decades and have the same “power without weight” or “iron fist in a velvet glove” quality that only the best Burgundy or Barolo ever achieve.
The problem? The best of them often trade for hundreds of dollars. Moreover, they are often only available in punishingly small quantities.
But I have a solution. I have a nice quantity and a ridiculous price on Domaine Patrick Jasmin’s achingly traditional and outrageously delicious 2016 Côte Rôtie “La Giroflaire.” Jasmin is something of an underground cultist at this point. Why? I have no idea.
Let’s review:
On the west coast, the wines are imported by Kermit Lynch, the importer rock star with serious Northern Rhône bona fides. How serious? He was the historical importer of Chave and Verset, and continues to work with Clape, Allemand, Faurie and Faury, to name but a few.
The critics write about Jasmin rarely, but when they do, it is with the utmost respect. Check out Josh Raynolds’ comments in Vinous:
“Jasmin’s wines are often underestimated …. That’s a mistake, I think. My experience is that the wines age gracefully on their balance and, with a half-dozen or so years of bottle age, nicely display classic northern Rhône character, if at a relatively low volume. Fans of elegant, even demure Côte-Rôtie owe it to themselves to revisit Jasmin’s work.”
I have good quantities and a, frankly, ridiculous price.
All signs point to buying healthily. It’s rare to find wines of the breed and character for such short money and widely available. What’s more 2016 is going to be a barnburner in the Northern Rhône – fleshy, elegant and mineral wines of great reserve and poise, as opposed to the bruising nature of the 2015s. While both are excellent, my money is on the 2016s. But maybe Josh Raynolds has it best with regard to the two vintages: “Heads you win, tails you win.”
2016 Domaine Patrick Jasmin Côte Rôtie La Giroflaire
Jonathan Livingstone Learmouth (4 Stars): “94-95% Syrah, 5-6% Viognier. A variety of sources; this was vinified in the 52 hl tronconic oak vat, then mostly transferred to the oak casks for its raising. 1) tronconic vat **** dark red. Has a curvy, sexy aroma of Morello black cherries, a light toffee note, violets in the second tier. It’s a charming and promising start, is well struck. The palate runs with tasty fruit, yum yum, black fruit coulis on wheels. There is a light pepperiness, but the feel is juicy, flowing, attractive. Go-go fruit here. It’s a good northern wine with the southern sunshine in nice proportion. It will close, but is great on its early fruit. Pleasure and decent balance, too here. … 2) new 400-litre oak cask ***(*) dark red. Smoked oak, toffee, black cherry mix in a nose of potential more than being open; it’s sturdy. The palate has a solid base, with black fruits, blackberry, blueberry at its heart. Elegant fruit within pushes on to a clear close. The length is sound. This can make gradual gains. From 2020. 2029-31 3) new 500-litre cask **** dark red; black cherry-oak mix, raspberry liqueur, a beau and well-founded nose. Has a good, active attack, its fruit showing gusto, has live prompts from its tannins, precise moments. Stylish, Burgundian. 2029 or so 4) 3 year 600-litre cask ***(*) lees and reduction on the nose that has a couch of red fruits, pepper also. The palate fruit is clear, and there is good tingle on the finish. 12-14 years. OVERALL **** a stylish year in prospect, with a gentle sturdiness that will underpin it well. I would leave it until 2021, then go for its then less latent gourmandise and pleasure.”
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