Domaine Jean Michel Stephan, Cote Rotie, Coteaux de Bassenon

Easily my favorite expression of Syrah. Young and very primary for now, but this has mind bending breadth across the palate and incredible lift. Tremendously concentrated violet and iris, blackberry compote, spicy black pepper, bay and summer savory, and a dark mineral character. Full bodied, high acidity, seamlessly integrated medium/high tannin, and a seriously long finish.

Very complicated wine that was tough to comprehend. I opened and decanted this last night and it was wonderfully perfumed, but so jammy and nearly primary that I couldn’t really enjoy it, so back in the bottle with cork reinserted for 24 hours. Today this was more balanced with an intense concentration of black and blue berries with that same spiced perfume. Somehow the finish falls slightly short, and while there is so much that is exciting here, it doesn’t …

Turns mousey after 30 minutes. Way too expensive wine to have these defectivenes. Why just not a small amount of sulfites? I will newer buy anything more from this producer again. The first impression was an ok wine, but a little bit too full and you could definitely sense the alcohol, probably around 14.5 instead of 13 on the label.

A Wednesday at Dave's place : [Tasted Double Blind] This pours medium purple in the glass. The nose is extremely lifted showing clear carbonic character alongside a touch of reduction. Aromas are of bubblegum, fresh blackberry, violets, lavender, crushed granite, and a vague touch of pepper. The overall impression here one of tremendous aromatic lift that is wildly floral, almost like lacrima di morro d'alba. The palate is youthfully structured with bright blueberry on entry. Its quite structured on the …

Splash decant. Very deep intense magenta color. Blackberry, fig, bacon fat, violet, bay leaf, dark chocolate, slate, and subtle nutmeg and cinnamon. Dry palate, with fine acidity. Firm, medium intensity tannins on the longish finish. This blossomed over an hour of drinking, but it’s quite youthful. It’s simultaneously rich and delicate. Enjoyed with short ribs and duck at Aldo Sohm wine bar in Manhattan before seeing Hamilton for the first time.

98-100 points. All you could ever want. Bacon fat and bacon-wrapped date. Impressive on both nose and taste.

Took a couple hours to open up to lightly perfumed nose of florals, violets, plump tomato, smoke, wood spice. Slightly plush texturally. Plums. Cassis. Violet. Clove. Olives. Smoke. Long finish. Med/Med+ acids. Fine tannin. Slightly fat or oily texture that makes wine seem bigger than its 13% alc and elegance. Spicy slightly rustic finish that coats the mouth. Fun wine. Give it another 3-5 years. A fun and complex wine. 93-94

Gorgeous. Red and black fruit. Smoke and perfume. Silk and violets. Intensely aromatic, very fine, subtle tannins. An expression of Syrah that is simultaneously rich and ethereal. Impressive.

Violets, red fruit, slightly wild, med body, med + acid

C+K's housewarming party (Chicago, IL) : Man, I do love having some viognier in my syrah, especially since it brings out such intense, potent aromatics. This is a wine that is almost fully driven by the nose, but what a nose it is. Explosive and expansive, the perfume of this is simply incredible. There's a lifted, herbal note alongside some fruit and smoke. The palate is admittedly a bit of a let-down, but almost everything is, after that nose. Not …

Dark red purple, kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors as if tomato water, blood, fresh flowers, and tobacco of which some portion already burned were tossed into a blender. Amazing juice - transports the drinker who allows to the terroir of its birth.

The Bassenon-vineyard is placed down south in the Côte-Rôtie appelation close to Condrieu. Here Jean-Michel Stephan holds some vines producing the almost extinct clone of syrah called Sérine. This wine consists of apx 30% of this clone. It's been in wooden barrels for 36 months. Dark fruit aromas of blackberries, cherries and some blueberries. Also violets, wet autumn-forest, exotic spices, pepper and some smoked meat. Big mouthfeel, very concentrated, juicy fruit, great acidity, tight mouthdrying tannins and a long fruity …

Quite a revelation - this was a producer that I have never heard of before, but I really like the style of the wine. It is still way too young of course, but it was a real pleasure in the glass. It had a truly arresting nose, wafting out of the glass with perfumy drifts of violets and sweet cherries and bright blueberry scents lined with slatey, stony mineral accents and a nice wreath of dried earth and garrigue - …

In the bouquet red as well as dark berry fruits, minerals like wet stone, spiciness and smoke. The same impressions on the palate as well as laurel, juicy fruits, good acidity and youthful and a bit drying tannin. This wine will improve with some cellaring. Next try 2016. 91+

Très joli vin, sur le fruit. Nez extrêmement marqué sur le poivre et les épices. Grande élégance mais entre deux âges. Sera sûrement meilleur dans 2 ou 3 ans.