2015 Cote Rotie Les Grandes Places
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Tasting Notes
This is only the second vintage that Nicolas Champagneux produced from his centenarian vines in Les Grandes Places. The sternest of the trio of 2015, 2016 and 2017, this is a powerful and impressive vintage of Les Grandes Places – with all the best characteristics of the year. The wine is dark and broody, compact and amazingly primary still, with black cherry fruit and blackberry filling the nose. On the palate, however, it has amazing purity and intensity, with a crystalline quality to the fruit, plenty of acidity to complement its concentration and the firm tannins. Smoky, saline notes linger in the mouth, with a dusting of petal florals on the finish. Decant if opening now, but this will be even better if you can resist for another few years.
Critic Scores
John Livingstone-Learmonth, Drink Rhône
More reviews and scores
(1-year 228-litre cask) full robe, all the way up, a dark black. The bouquet is a sensaround affair, suave, elegantly deep – there is Syrah on wheels here, a real smooth take on black cherry fruit, with fine detail in the fruit. The palate presents very good style right away, slinks along, all smooth and consecutive. There is a gentle increase in depth as it goes. This is very good, holds much promise; the tannins are firm and very well installed. It is a silken caress, balanced wine with lovely late juice. “It is very promising; it seems not bad to me, and is making a constant evolution,” Nicolas Champagneux.
About the producer
Nicolas Champagneux is one of the Northern Rhône’s rising stars producing wines from an exceptional plot of ancient vines in one of Côte-Rôtie’s top vineyards.