We landed an elusive whale last year and were very reluctant to part with it, so you can imagine how tormented we are to reveal today’s second Jean-Luc Jamet allocation which, again, is too limited for us to personally indulge in a few bottles. Jamet is the epitome of Côte-Rôtie, and this breathtaking, poised-to-be-immortal 2015 further cements their surname in the already-loaded archives of elite French Syrah. There’s no disputing Jamet is a category-leading name—on par with legends Chave in Hermitage, Lafite-Rothschild in Pauillac, or Giacomo Conterno in Barolo—but today’s label may not be exactly what you were expecting...

This aromatically explosive and jaw-droppingly pure Côte-Rôtie comes from Jean-Luc—not Jean-Paul—Jamet, the second brother who ran legendary Domaine Jamet for more than 20 years. However, the vineyard holdings were divided between them several years back, thus giving birth to a new label and today’s third vintage of Côte-Rôtie “Terrasses.” Incredibly, this sensational bottling from Jean-Luc Jamet comes in at well under half the price of his brother’s ($225+) and employs more elegance. In fact, when considering the entire package, it could very well be the savvier purchase right now! Given the pedigree here, this is an absolute must for those eager to “get in on the ground floor” before inevitable fame and chatter rockets prices and exclusivity alongside Jean-Paul. It’s certainly the most enjoyable wine I’ve tasted from Jean-Luc, which accordingly places it at the vertiginous peak of blue-chip Côte-Rôtie. 

In 2013, there was a rather dramatic change that occurred within the Jamet family. After decades of 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—without actually going anywhere: The brothers created two wineries separated by a well-placed concrete wall and split up the vineyards. Having meticulously assembled an enviable, and some would say unrivaled, assortment of vineyards throughout Côte-Rôtie, the Jamets have become the ultimate name in collectible, age-worthy, top-of-the-line reds. Luckily for us, Jean-Luc’s third vintage under his own label is a certifiable instant classic at a much, much friendlier price, due in part to Jean-Paul getting the more recognizable label during the split.

 
Jean-Luc’s Côte-Rôtie is loaded with all of the high-toned nobility and depth of flavor you expect from this world-class appellation because he owns mature raw material in the region’s best lieux-dits (named vineyard parcels): Lancement, Bonnivières, Chavaroche, Mornachon, Côte Baudin, La Landonne, Moutonnes, Les Rochains, Fongeant—essentially, an enviable collection of Premier and Grand Cru Syrah. 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). Although “Lancement,” a prime Côte Blonde parcel, is a major component of Jean-Luc’s Côte-Rôtie, his bottling is ultimately a classic cuvée, incorporating fruit from both soil types. 
 
Jean-Luc Jamet’s approach is not especially distinct from his brother’s, nor his father’s—they both learned from their father, Joseph, and worked together for decades. 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; about 65% of the grapes were de-stemmed, lending the wine a well-calibrated mix of saturated fruit and earthy, stem-derived “grip.” Vinification is carried out with naturally occurring wild yeasts and a battery of variously sized barrels, only a quarter new, are used: 228-liter Burgundy barrels, 300-liter barrels, and 500-liter “puncheons,” each with their own distinct nuances. After roughly one year of aging, the final wines are blended and bottled without any fining or filtration. 
 
The impeccable lineage and earth-rattling profundity of Jean-Luc’s 2013 “Terrasses” is evident from the first sip. When French Syrah is “on” like this, it’s awfully hard for any combination of wine/region/producer to beat its combination of ethereal aromatics and earthy depth. In the glass, the wine reveals a dense, dark purple/black that moves to a vibrant ruby at the rim. After a minimum two-hour decant, a massive outpouring of hearty blue and black fruits emerge in the form of boysenberry, huckleberry, Damson plum, black cherry, cassis, and black raspberry alongside a formidable array of spice and savory earth. That cacophony of savor and spice—roasted meat, iron, violets, black pepper, olive tapenade, leather, exotic spices—carries through to the full-bodied and sublimely structured palate. This is one of those wines that seems almost physically impossible: how can a red be so profoundly deep/complex and simultaneously fresh? Don’t spend too much time thinking about it, just savor it slowly—both now and over the next two decades as it continues evolving. Despite its greatness right now, I think this wine will be an unbeatable tour de force between its 10th and 15th birthday so do your best to preserve a couple. Cheers!