2013 Cote Rotie La Vialliere
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Tasting notes
Supple textured, silky and sweet, the dark, smoky, peppery red pit fruits show freshness and a spicy character that delivers polish with wild red berries in the finish making this already hard to resist. With time, this could get even better.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Lurid violet. Mineral- and spice-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, sandalwood and olive are lifted by a strong suggestion of cracked pepper. At once concentrated and energetic, offering palate-staining blackberry, bitter cherry and fruitcake flavors, taking on a hint of smokiness on the back half. Turns sweeter on the impressively persistent finish, which features building tannins and lingering smoke and floral nuances.
As in 2012 and 2015, Stephane released a boxed set of single vineyards in 2013. The 2013 Côte Rôtie Viallière is another wine from Stephan that excels in the vintage. The parcel for this cuvée comes from the upper portion of the Viallière lieu-dit, and it’s almost at the bottom edge of Grandes Places. It has terrific complexity in its black raspberries, smoked blackcurrants and mineral-driven, meaty personality. Medium to full-bodied, silky and elegant, with the higher acidity of the vintage and present tannin, it's not going to hit prime time until around 2023, and should have 10-15 years of prime drinking after that.