The 97 was more backward than the 98 last year. 99s in general are big in N Rhone, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it needs more slumber. “Mature” is a relative term isn’t it?
Love that wine
I opened a 98 last night with a burger topped with sauteed mushrooms, shallots, Fallot Dijon and Havarti cheese. RA’s note reflects my experience. Good stuff. As far as ready or not? I don’t believe there is any hurry to consume and I can’t imagine disappointment in popping a cork now or later.
Perhaps a year or so ago I took two 99s to a get together with some friends that I knew would appreciate them. I looked at my notes and just as I remember, they were pretty tight and improved with air. Most certainly no rush to drink the 99s. FWIW, I did prefer the Jamet to the couple of La-Las served that evening.
The 97’s have performed well throughout their lifetime for me. I bought 12 bottles and have two left. Last one opened three years ago with our blind tasting group, it was singing.
Bottom line, my experience with these three vintages has been good. The 99 needs time, 98 drink or hold and 97 ready to roll. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I agree…all three vintages of Jamet have been winners. It’s interesting to me that back in the day when I was buying these wines on release, I was buying Ogier as well and the Ogier’s haven’t aged nearly as well.
Robert, once again we agree, this wine is fantastic. Complex, funky (meat and bacon), some floral stuff, pure fruit, silky mouthfeel, it’s tremendous northern Rhone.
Classic 12% Alc Cote Rotie. Pure joy. And thanks Bacchus, not much bacon fat on mines so far.
I do not quite get that.
A wine with only mean ripeness (—> low alc), lacking typicity like bacon fat, maybe also no black and green olives and no smoked meat, but presumably quite high acidity should be “classic” and a textbook example? ![[scratch.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/4/42a16863a8714da3c1604419e3eb9206bb87aa50.gif "scratch"){kind=small}
I´m not sure if the 98 Jamet has really only 12%, and it is a wine I like, at least I liked the 2 times I had it, but it is however inferior to the 1997 and 1999 - at least in my humble opinion, and so I don´t understand the praise - or the (better) reason for the praise.
Back at ya with the head scratch, palates and opinions, gracefully so, do differ.
I’ve not had the '97, and yes the '99 is damn fine, but at least IMHO, this '98 is fantastic.
+1. 1998 was always my favorite of that trio, haven’t had one for years though so no recent experience. Probably a good time to think of pulling my last 1998.
I have read quite a few description of the Cote Rotie wines written over 2 centuries (the older I know being from Cochard 1812).
Never seen any mention of bacon fat or meat… The most frequent descriptor is “violette”.
The famous wine writer from the '20s, Docteur Ramain, describes the aromas of Cote Rotie as “de framboise, de violette et de vieil humus chauffé”. Bacon??? Where? Livingstone -Learmonth? Kermit Lynch? Nope
Then Stevenson, Johnson, Robison or Broadbent maybe? Nope again…
“Suivez mon regard, alors…”
For the alcohol, how high is 91 Gentaz the most highly praised CR these days?
she just wants to know why you always take 30 minute “showers”
Intersting anecdotes Eric. I wonder if the grape composition of Cote Rotie has changed over the years? I believe I read somewhere that AOC rules (specifically around the inclusion of Viognier) for CR began in the mid 20th century. I wonder if historically there was less/same/more viognier?
Regarding alc content, I agree with you in spirit and experience, but would love to see more data on the subject as well (i.e., what leads to the bacon aroma, what is the molecular interaction and the correlation with phenolic ripeness and/or alch).
It’s all that thinking of bacon!
But, now I’m not certain it was bacon after all. Fortunately I hedged my bets and called it cured meats.
I had a '96 a few months ago and it was in a great place
Checking my CT notes, it seems I have had a few vintages of this wine. At one lucky lunch we had 2, 2000s blind. All my notes seem very positive especially about the 00, 01, 89 and 97.
I’m with Eric–I don’t get much of any bacon fat in Jamet Cote Rotie. Violets, raspberry, smoke, black olive. Purity, and a certain attractive wildness in some vintages.
Eric, you are far more knowledgable than I as to this, and I really enjoy your selections from the N. Rhone, but I get a very light umami quality (next to the flowers, red/black fruit ,and super silky mouthfeel that aged Jamet delivers) that I associate with meat. It’s not like Verset or the wilder stuff, but it’s in the background. Maybe I’m talking myself into it because I like it.