Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond, Cote Rotie, Rochains

Drinking beautifully now, the primary fruit is beginning to fade toward a savory, earthy profile of blackberry and cooked strawberry. The palate is light-bodied but assertively structured, balancing rounded tannins with a refreshing acidic lift. Expect a cool, mineral texture with a distinctive stemmy grip that adds spice, though it finishes with a touch of drying astringency. Elegant and highly persistent. 93 now and giving it the benefit of the doubt for another 3-4 years in bottle to hit its …