Faury, Cote Rotie, Emporium

Opaque purple. Gentle black and blue fruit, smoke and spice. The nose is restrained. Elegantly structured in the mouth. There was a lovely lightness to this relatively big wine. No new oak. Almost Burgundian.

Not a soaring or profound Cote-Rotie, but one of superb balance and finesse. Nice smokey and peppery tones on the nose with a whiff of florals. Beautiful balance on the palate, with lovely bacon and black-fruited flavors, nice acidity to go with the bold, peppery fruit, and fine tannins providing a little grip on the finish. Went well with BBQ-smoked chicken and was accessible enough now, but certainly has the legs for longer cellar time. Drink or hold.