2017 Cotes du Roussillon Visitare Interiore Terrae
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Tasting notes
Deeply colored, with beautiful currants, chocolate, dried earth, and ground herbs, the 2017 Côtes Du Roussillon Villages Latour De France Visitare Interiore Terrae is full-bodied and has a rounded, sexy, opulent texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s a much more opulent, Southern Rhône styled effort compared to the more Syrah-dominated RI release. While falling outside the focus of this Northern Rhône report, I taste these wines every year during my visit at Chapoutier. Looking first at the 2018s, this was a cooler, wetter, and later year, and the wines show terrific purity and freshness with more medium-bodied to medium to full-bodied profiles. The 2017s come from a hot, dry year and are bigger, richer efforts.
Critic scores
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Still in barrel when I tasted it, the 2017 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Visitare Interiore Terrae remains an impressive blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from old vines located at around 350 meters above sea level. Crushed stone accents peppered cherries and blueberries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate showcases ample power and structure, finishing with dusty chocolate notes on the finish.
Cask sample. 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah. Light-bodied palate despite the rich primary fruit. Powerful but bitter with sourness on the finish. Harsh tannic grip. (RH)