Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Ampodium 2019
SKU
RRAM201910 UCAU
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Substantial, meaty and muscular feel
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18+ Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages, Alistair Cooper MW
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98 Points The Wine Advocate, Joe Czerwinski
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1 or more bottles$175.00
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Alistair Cooper17.5+ points
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Joe Czerwinski93 points
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Josh Raynolds95 points
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Wine Spectator93 points
Editors notes
Rene’s son Pierre took the helm since the 2015 vintage & is keeping to his father’s style, 90-100% whole bunch ferment and less than 15% new oak ageing, whilst adding additional precision and intensity to the wines. The Cuvée Ampodium is a blend dominated by the produce of La Viaillère and Tupin that always shows a hallmark refinement and juiciness. His La Landonne is typically muscular and backward when young that after 8+ years develops into a whole spectrum of savoury
meat and hedgerow fruit flavours. However, his flagship wine, Côte Blonde goes against the grain of the widespread clichés about the effeminacy and delicacy of Côte Blonde wines. Although it does benefit from the floral effects of the 2-3% Viognier added to the blend, its density & concentration requires a barrel maturation longer
than the others and at least ten years bottle age is needed before it is approached. Chiselled and intense, it offers a saline chalk note to the brambly fruit. This has become one of the most respected estates in the region. Pierre comments that in 2019, as with 2018, the grapes matured very quickly in the latter part of the growing season. This meant that, when it came to picking, the fruit was ripe & extremely healthy, resulting in wines of wonderful phenolic complexity.
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Pepper
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Palate
- Blackberry
- Fruit Cake
- Tobacco
Food Pairings
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Pork -
Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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Alistair Cooper MW
17.5+"Cask sample, tasted at the domaine. Elegant and smoked peat nose, vivid and floral. Superb richness and elegance and defined rounded tannins – concentrated fruit and with excellent fresh acidity. Corpulent but also structurally very together – introverted perhaps – has a slight tequila dampearth attractive note on the finish."
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Joe Czerwinski
93"An opulent, rich vintage of this cuvée, the 2019 Cote Rotie Ampodium still offers up nicely detailed, intricate floral notes layered atop raspberries and mocha. Medium to full-bodied, it’s velvety and lush, with plenty of length on the finish. It should drink well for more than a decade."
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Josh Raynolds
95"Primary black/blue fruit, violet, allspice and olive qualities on the highly perfumed nose, where a smoky mineral nuance adds energetic lift. Sweet, deep-pitched blueberry, cherry and fruitcake flavors spread out steadily in the mouth, picking up spiciness and a touch of licorice on the back half. Finishes with sharp clarity and silky tannins that provide closing shape and grip."
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Wine Spectator
93"Gently steeped cherry and plum notes form the core in this red, while light floral, white pepper and red licorice accents fill in along the edges. A long, subtle sanguine thread stitches up the savory finish. Best from 2023 through 2033."
Other vintages
Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.
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- Variety Shiraz
- Vintage 2018
- Brand Domaine René Rostaing
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie La Landonne 2018-
Joe Czerwinski97-99 points
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Jeb Dunnuck93-95 points
$450.00 -
- Variety Shiraz
- Vintage 2016
- Brand Domaine René Rostaing
- Cellaring 10-15 Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie La Landonne 2016-
Joe Czerwinski97-99 points
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Jeb Dunnuck93-95 points
$450.00
Current auction
All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.
Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Rhone Valley
The Rhône Valley is in the South of France and is situated in the Rhône river valley. The region has been growing wines for centuries and is generally split into two sub-regions. In the Northern Rhône, Syrah is the predominant grape variety, though it is often blended with other white varieties like Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier, or the red grape Mourvedre. In the Southern Rhône, a wide range of white, red and rosés are produced alongside the undisputed king of the Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The Northern Rhône is cooler than the Southern Rhône and has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winter. The appellations from North to South are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray.
In Southern Rhône, the climate is more Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation but others include Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas and Lirac. Large pebbles are used in the region, placed at the base of the vines to absorb the suns heat during the day, to keep the vines warm at night.
Châteauneuf-du-Papes are blended from the 13 permitted grape varieties, though Grenache usually dominates, supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. These wines can be supremely rich and complex and typically warrant 5-10 years in the cellar for best results.
Cote Rotie
The Rhone appellation furthest north is known for its captivating landscapes and exceptional wines, and among its renowned regions, one stands out—the picturesque Côte-Rôtie. Translating to "Roasted slope," this appellation derives its name from the region's steep slopes that face the sun, providing an ideal exposure for the vineyards. Nestled within Côte-Rôtie, two main slopes, known as the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, showcase distinct characteristics that contribute to the diverse range of wines produced.
As their names suggest, the Côte Brune features darker soils composed of rich clay and iron. These elements impart strength and robustness to the wines cultivated in this area. The Côte Brune wines are known for their firm structure, deep flavors, and remarkable aging potential. The combination of the clay soils' ability to retain heat and the iron's influence on the grapes creates a unique and powerful expression of the terroir.
In contrast, the Côte Blonde boasts lighter soils composed of slate and limestone. This soil composition lends a delicate elegance and a softer touch to the wines produced on this slope. Wines from the Côte Blonde exhibit a graceful character with nuanced flavors, refined aromatics, and a silky texture. The slate and limestone contribute to the wine's finesse by providing excellent drainage, allowing the vines to reach a delicate balance between ripeness and acidity.
It is worth noting that Côte-Rôtie wines can either originate from a single designated slope or be a blend of both. When enjoying a bottle of Côte-Rôtie, the label will indicate whether the wine is sourced from the Côte Brune or the Côte Blonde or if it is a harmonious blend of grapes from both slopes. This labeling practice allows wine enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the distinct characteristics and nuances of each individual slope or experience the beautiful marriage of flavors achieved through skillful blending.
About the brand Domaine René Rostaing
René Rostaing has made a life’s work of defending the idea that Côte Rôtie should taste like Côte Rôtie, not like Hermitage, and certainly not like new world Syrah.
In fact, he is nothing less than a beacon for those we’ve called the region’s “Classicists”—vignerons whose philosophies incorporate some new ideas while capturing the best of the region’s traditions—to make wines of purity and expression that are the essence of their region, village and vineyard.
A grower since 1971, his first vineyard purchases were a microscopic half acre each in Côte Blonde and in La Landonne on the Côte Brune. The real breakthrough came when his father-in-law, Albert Dervieux-Thaize, retired in 1990, followed by his uncle Marius Gentaz three years later. Between these two legendary growers, Rostaing acquired over ten acres of very old vines in some of the appellation’s top sites.
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