Cuilleron, Cote Rotie, Madiniere

Medium ruby red. A bit herbal on the nose with some cherries. Medium tannins (5/10) with a medium body. Gets brighter with air. Black cherries, brambles and licorice on the palate. Medium plus finish. Drink till 2032.

Blind N. Rhones : This sports a fairly modern flair with oak-kissed black fruit that is round and sweet. Good meaty Syrah character is there but it's secondary to the sweetness. Moderately concentrated.

Dinner at Tim's (Chicago, IL) : A hint of red fruit is bolstered by plenty of salinity and savoury notes on the nose, but is fully let down by the overwrought palate that shows a lot of needless polish. There's no overt oakiness here, but the palate has a glossy fruit feel that just doesn't jive well with me. I've thought of Cote-Rotie as the stomping grounds of the Rhone modernists, and this bottle is very much in line with …

Hint of white pepper. High acidity and quite tight on the palate. In early adolescence. I liked it less than the Bassenon bottling.

Offline at new Bentley CBD : Menthol/eucalyptus, kirsch, some bretty type notes with plenty of oak and licorice. Rich on the palate with nice spice interwoven. The tannin is prominent and works well with the richness of the fruit. Very good.

Comme souvent chez Cuilleron, vin flatteur mais fatigant au bout du second verre.

Had at Bar American in Mid-Town. Smooth, lush mocha-scented, full-bodied Syrah.

Rich, complex, long. Raspberries and cherries with a nice minerality. Not the new world type of Syrah that will start to bore you after 2 glasses. Delicious!