This wine is among the most aromatic and expressive northern Rhône reds I’ve opened in the last year. My tasting notes (which quickly became my drinking notes!) say, simply: “Insanity. Perfect.” It’s a real beauty, and is constructed primarily from old vines within the famed ‘Côte Brune’ sub-zone of Cote-Rotie, and predominantly the famed single vineyard “La Landonne.”
You might be familiar with this site because it has been made famous by E. Guigal, whose La Landonne bottling of the same vintage costs $600+! Since we created SommSelect, Bernard Levet has emerged from relative obscurity to become one of the most respected and recognized small producers in Côte-Rôtie. Critical praise and ever-rising prices have followed, but for the time being, we can still offer this back vintage of Levet’s top wine at a surprisingly modest price. In my recent experience the best 2011 northern Rhône reds are beginning to peak and this Côte-Rôtie is no exception!
The 2011 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie “Les Journaries” is a deep ruby leaning toward black in the glass, with some slight garnet and brick notes at the rim. It’s an aromatic tour de force, with notes of plump black currants and cherries, turkish coffee, Provençal herbs, violets, and cured meat. As is standard with Levet’s reds from this elite collection of vineyards, there is energy and tightrope balance on the palate that recalls many of my favorite Burgundy reds. It’s a perfect expression of this prized terroir, and still has plenty of life left; it should age gracefully for at least another decade if kept well. If you’re opening one of these now, please decant for 45 minutes before serving in large Bordeaux stems at 60 degrees. Like Levet’s wines of yesteryear, one of my favorite unsung classic French sauces is the paloise. This recipe requires a little practice with a double boiler before you perfect the texture, but once you nail it, it is one of the most heavenly companions to Lamb—and classic northern Rhône Syrah. Cheers!