The mere mention of the name “Jamet” provokes an awed response from Côte-Rôtie lovers. It is a category-defining name, as synonymous with the greatness of its appellation as Chave (Hermitage); Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac); or Giacomo Conterno (Barolo).
This wine is a predictably elite-level wine from Jamet, but not exactly the Jamet you may have been expecting: This is the first vintage of Côte-Rôtie from Jean-Luc Jamet, one of the two brothers who ran the venerable Domaine Jamet for more than 20 years. Jean-Luc’s new label was created by dividing the family’s vineyard holdings with his brother, Jean-Paul, and we were lucky to obtain a small allocation of his first release—this 2013 Côte-Rôtie “Terrasses.” Given the pedigree here, this is hardly a typical “first release”; this is elite wine, recently arrived directly from Jean-Luc’s cellars, and we are able to offer it at an unbeatable price. As of yet, this wine has almost no presence in the US, so if you’d like to get in on the ground floor of something that promises to be big, this 2013 is a most delicious way to do so.
As you may remember from a previous offer, we had the good fortune to visit the northern Rhône several months ago, and our most noteworthy visit was with Jamet. While there, we got some intel on the rather dramatic changes that have occurred within the family. After nearly twenty-five years working side-by-side in the family winery, which sits perched at the top of the Côte-Rôtie hill above the anchor village of Ampuis, Jean-Luc and Jean-Paul Jamet decided to go their separate ways—while remaining side-by-side. Jean-Luc now has his own winery on the family property, right next to the existing one, and the brothers divided the family vineyard holdings to enable Jean-Luc to release wines under his own label. This wine does the family name proud, to say the least: Given the spectacular assortment of Côte-Rôtie vineyards the Jamets have amassed over the years, it’s no wonder that this “new” wine from Jean-Luc is an instant classic—its impeccable lineage is evident from the first sip.
Some of you may remember Jean-Luc’s 2014 vin de pays Syrah, called “Valine,” which we offered a little while back—a dark, voluptuous Syrah with that magical Côte-Rôtie mix of perfumed florals and meaty savor. This wine is an actual Côte-Rôtie, with all of the high-toned nobility and depth of flavor you expect from this appellation. In addition to the “Valine” vineyard, which sits high atop Côte-Rôtie—outside of the AOC boundary—Jean-Luc Jamet acquired pieces of nine family-owned lieu-dits (named vineyard parcels) in Côte-Rôtie proper: Côte Bodin; Bonnivières; Chavaroche; Lancement?; La ?Landonne; Mornachon?; Les Moutonnes; Les Rochins; and Tartaras.
Côte-Rôtie fanatics will recognize many of these names, and will further notice that these parcels extend across both the “Côte Brune” (“brown slope,” where the darker soils have more schist and iron) and the “Côte Blonde” (where soils are more sandy and granitic, with a lighter shade). We’re told that “Lancement,” a prime vineyard on the Côte Blonde, is a key component of Jean-Luc’s Côte-Rôtie, but ultimately his bottling is a classic cuvée, incorporating fruit from both soil types. (Domaine Jamet, meanwhile, which is now run by Jean-Paul Jamet, his wife, Corinne, and their son, Loïc, continues to produce the estate’s sought-after “Côte Brune” bottling, as the majority of the family’s vineyard holdings are indeed here).
Jean-Luc Jamet’s approach is not especially distinct from his brother’s (both he and Jean-Luc learned from their father, Joseph, and worked together for decades)—so yes, your expectations should be set high. This is ultra-classic, genuinely profound northern Rhône Syrah at the absolute pinnacle of its expression: aromatic, mineral, textured, and profound. Jean-Luc incorporates some grape stems in his fermentations, depending on the maturity of the stems at harvest; in 2013, about 60% of the grapes were de-stemmed, lending the wine a well-calibrated mix of saturated fruit and earthy, stem-derived “grip.” And although Jean-Luc’s cellar is new, and filled with newer barrels, there are no “first-passage” barrels used to age this wine. Most are second- and third-passage barrels of different sizes—both 225-liter barriques and 500-liter demi-muids are used.
Jean-Luc’s 2013 “Terrasses” ascends immediately to the top of the Côte-Rôtie heap. When Syrah is “on” like this, it’s awfully hard to beat its combination of ethereal aromatics and earthy depth. In the glass it is an opaque purple/black, moving to a deep ruby at the rim. The nose is a cacophony of blue/black fruits of all types, licorice, roasted meat, lavender, baking spices, black pepper, black olive tapenade, and leather, all of which carries through to the full-bodied, structured palate. The tannins are firm and the ample fruit is lifted by the bright acidity this cool climate all but guarantees. It’s one of those wines that seems almost physically impossible—how can a red be so profoundly deep and so fresh, simultaneously? Don’t spend too much thinking about it, just enjoy it—both now and for a good decade-plus to come! If you’re opening a bottle now, decant it about an hour before serving in large Bordeaux stems (Burgundy stems are great also) between 60 and 65 degrees. Given its source—the “roasted slope”—this wine demands something roasted or slow-cooked, and lamb is the most classic Syrah pairing of all. The attached recipe is significant time commitment, but a wine of this level deserves it. I’m sure you will agree.
