Domaine Rostaing, Cote Rotie, La Landonne 2010

The prodigious 2010 Cote Rotie La Landonne reveals a dense purple color along with a huge, impressive perfume of roasted meats, black currants, black raspberries and scorched earth. This 100% Syrah comes from vines planted on exceptionally steep slopes composed of schist and iron-like sub-soils. Some graphite also makes an appearance in this mineral-dominated, well-delineated, rich, intense wine.

Inky ruby. Aromas and flavors of dark fruit preserves, candied flowers and smoky herbs, with a bright mineral nuance adding lift. Deeply pitched black and blue fruit flavors show serious depth and structure, picking up spiciness and an exotic floral quality on the back half. Chewy tannins give shape and grip to a strikingly long, powerful and spice-driven finish. Rostaing thinks that it would be a grave mistake to broach this wine in its youth and believes that it's for the most patient people, not those in a hurry.