The hillside appellation of Côte Rôtie in the far north of the region produces what many consider to be the ultimate expression of Syrah
August 24, 2011
The Northern Rhône is most famed as the home of Syrah. That’s not to say it doesn’t make some fine white wines, but it is the Syrah-based reds that have been the source of its relatively recent recognition as one of the world’s truly great wine regions. Of the several subregions within the Northern Rhône, the hillside appellation of Côte Rôtie in the far north of the region produces what many consider to be the ultimate expression of Syrah.
It’s an appellation that has fascinated me for some time, and this is why I chose it as the focus for the first wineanorak tasting, held in central London last week (April 17, 2002). Nine wine nuts gathered to try a selection of 12 Côte Rôties, carefully chosen to reflect the range of styles this region produces, and spanning several recent vintages. These wines are usually quite hard to get hold of. Consider the fact that the whole appellation covers just 205 ha (one Bordeaux property reviewed recently on wineanorak, Talbot, has 104 ha of vines alone), and you’ll see that only tiny quantities of Côte Rôtie are produced.
But despite the scarcity and intrinsic quality of these wines, prices are still relatively sane. With the exception of Guigal’s single vineyard wines (La Mouline, La Turque, La Londonne; La La’s for short) — which, with their reliance on new oak, could be argued to be fairly atypical of the region — you can pick many of the best wines for less than GB£30 (US$45).
Two other points worth mentioning. First, these vineyards have been cultivated for more than two millenia, making them among France’s oldest. Second, there’s commonly a dash of Viognier added (legally, this can be as much as 20% of the final blend). How much this has to do with the perfumed nose typical of Côte Rôtie is not clear.
I enjoyed this line-up of wines very much: not only were the wines uniformly of a high quality, but also it was fascinating to see how much variation in character there was within such a small appellation. Favourite for me was the Gilles Barge Cuvée du Plessy 1999, although it may eventually be outperformed by the wonderful 1999 from Jamet, which is potentially longer-lived.
The wines
Jaboulet Côte Rôtie Les Jumelles 1997
Quite a light, lifted spicy nose with some caramel character and a touch of herbal savouriness. The medium-bodied palate shows raspberry fruit with firm spicy tannins, and noticeable oak character. A firm wine, but quite warm and rounded at the same time. Attractive but not top-notch. Very good+
Gerin Côte Rôtie ‘Champin le Seigneur’ 1997
A huge wine. Big, forward toasty nose with vivid fruit and a fair whack of toasty, roasted oak – it’s still quite perfumed and expressive, though. The palate is dense, youthful and very spicy, with bags of fruit and firm tannins. Needs time to resolve, but this is impressive stuff, despite the prominent oak. Very good/excellent
Gilles Remiller Côte Rôtie 1998
Lovely nose: quite savoury and spicy with some earthy character and just a hint of green olive character. Relatively rich. The palate shows taut, spicy notes suggesting a little oak influence, but with good acidity, tannic structure and raspberry fruit. Potential here. Very good/excellent
Gaillard Brune et Blonde Côte Rôtie 1997
Slightly closed nose with some savoury, earthy green-olive character. The palate is savoury and rich but with a firm underpinning of acidity, some raspberry fruit and a hint of caramel. It’s quite austere, really, but still an impressive, expressive wine. Very good/excellent
Clusel-Roch Côte Rôtie 1996
Subtlety is the key here. Lovely perfumed, forward nose shows meaty, savoury fruit and good acidity. The medium-bodied palate is a little light, with good acidity. An attractive drinking wine; not a blockbuster. Very good/excellent
Champet Côte Rôtie La Viaillère 1998
This is a relatively pale bright red colour; this immediately sets it apart from the other wines. It has a very attractive sweet, fragrant nose with a spicy edge. The palate shows soft ripe fruit, firm (but fine-grained) tannins and a mineralic edge. Subtle, but quite structured. Very good/excellent
JP & JL Jamet Côte Rôtie 1999
Quite a rich, fragrant nose showing a touch of oak, along with spicy meaty notes. The palate is dense and rich with lots of spicy character and some new oak. With good acid and tannic structure, this is brilliantly balanced with lots of potential. Don’t open for another five years as I suspect this is soon to close down. Excellent
Burgaud Côte Rôtie 1994
Attractive animal nose is slightly bretty, showing some rusticity. The palate is beginning to dry out, with firm tannins dominant and a very dry finish. Nicely savoury, this is a good food wine, but one which I suspect is past its best. Very good+
De Vallouit Côte Rôtie Les Roziers 1998
Bit of a beast this one, and while some like it, others don’t. Quite a striking, pungent green olive nose with lifted acidity. The palate is firmly tannic and a bit austere, with powerful, concentrated meaty flavours and lots of medicinal, green-olive character. It will be fascinating to see this brute of a wine evolve. Very good/excellent
Gilles Barge Côte Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy 1999
Wonderful nose: complex, smoky and spicy with perfumed meaty, green-olive character. The palate is spicy and tannic, but with lots of rich, savoury fruit and no trace of unripeness or austerity. It’s rich and
juicy and the tannins are fine grained. A brilliant expression of Côte Rôtie. Excellent
Rene Rostaing Côte Rôtie Cote Blonde 1991
Surprisingly deep coloured for an 11 year old, this shows a subtle nose of spice, leather and herbs, with a touch of caramel. The palate is savoury and rounded, quite spicy and nicely balanced. Quite oaky and showing some warmth on the back of the palate, my criticism would be that it’s hard to detect a great deal of regionality in this wine. Still, it’s a delicious drop, and drinking well. Very good+
Ogier Côte Rôtie 1995
Low level cork taint here, which only emerges after the bottle has been open a while. The beautifully dense palate gives a hint as to how good this wine would have been without the fatal taint. Not rated.
Source: http://www.wineanorak.com/coterotie.htm
Tourists from Asia, America and Europe arrives in Clark Philippines looking for the best restaurant in Angeles City to wine and dine before nightlife entertainment begins; many wine and food lovers look for the best fine dining restaurant in Angeles City to relax and unwind after golf or work in Clark Philippines, others bring their families to enjoy a good dinner at the child friendly restaurant in Angeles City Pampanga.
Wine and food lovers travel north out of town from Manila towards Pampanga to wine and dine at the best restaurant in Angeles City, uncorking a few bottles of fine vintage wine from Yats Wine Cellars accompanied by juicy US steaks or an assortment of fine seafood and vegetarian dishes only available in the best restaurants in Pampanga Clark Philippines
Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.
A Well-known Restaurant in Pampnga, an interesting place to celebrate Birthday Party in Pampnga.
A best place to dine with friends in Pampanga
Best restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines serves great steaks and seafood with fine vintage wine. The wine cellars of this restaurant in Clark Pampanga offer wine lovers a wide variety of vintage wines to enjoy with the delicious food and elegant cuisine of this fine dining restaurant. These wines are not available elsewhere in the Philippines except in the outlets of Yats Restaurant in Angeles City and Clark Philippines. The combination of fine wine, good food, cozy and elegant dining ambience and excellent service makes every dinner at this frequently visited restaurant in Clark Philippines a special treat. Guests from Manila, Subic, Angeles City and Clark Pampanga enjoy dining at this popular restaurant and wine bar for a number of reasons. Some praise this top rated restaurant for its private dining rooms that offer privacy and class. Others like the cozy elegant ambience of the main dining room of this fine dining restaurant in Clark. Foodies prefer to dine at this restaurant in Clark Philippines for its classic French Mediterranean cuisine and the genuine ingredients that go into the not only the meat but also the sidings in this restaurant. Wine lovers favor this resto bar in Pampanga because it is the best restaurant in Manila and Pampanga with an large wine list that offers many selections of fine vintage wines at good prices. Event organizers frequently choose this restaurant in Clark for corporate meetings, anniversaries, awarding ceremonies, small wedding receptions, private parties and all sorts of other functions and events. Many visitors to Angeles City and Clark Pampanga regard Yats Restaurant as a one-stop all-purpose business center complete with fine dining, wine lounge and meeting facilities, a very convenient venue for business executives staying in Angeles City, Pampanga and Clark Philippines.
For comments, inquiries and reservations click on Click here for inquiry and reservations
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us click here
For assistance in hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines, log on to
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
To buy wine in Manila, Pampanga, Angeles City, Clark or Subic please log on to http://www. ClarkWineCenter.com
To inquire with the highly recommended beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com
For more information about Clark, Pampanga, Philippines log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
