Modern Rostaing C-R

[SFJoe]

Just got a mailer from Rare Wine celebrating Rene Rostaing's Cote-Roties. As I read between the lines, they intimate that he has returned to a more traditional vinification, with less than 20% new wood, whole clusters, etc.

I haven't bought the wines in years--my last ones from Kermit must have been during his experiments with modernism, because I lost interest pretty severely.

Has anyone tried recent vintages? How are they?

 

[Yixin]

Good and spendy. We tried some wines at the urging of Jean Gonon.

 

[mlawton]

Can't hear you. Don't want to hear you. Cheaper that way, thanks.

 

[VLM]

Interesting news. We get offered these but never take them exactly for the reasons Joe states above.

Yixin, what other producer would be the best comparison for the wines as they are currently made?

 

[Michael Lewis]

Does he still use the roto-fermenters (but gently, of course, like a delicates cycle when doing laundry)?

 

[pab]

originally posted by SFJoe:
As I read between the lines, they intimate that he has returned to a more traditional vinification

Before vinification, you have to produce grappes (90% of the final result)... And when I read "le Rouge et le Blanc", I discover no change.
Try a 2009 or 2010 : it's still very far away of a Jamet.

 

[SFJoe]

So pab, you think he is picking too late, or what?

 

[pab]

Vinification, picking... You speak like most tasters. Did you already make a trip in the Cote Rotie vineyard ? Did you see the ground ?
90% of the quality of a wine came from the work in the vineyard since october to august. And this work is one of the main cost in an wine estate.

 

[SFJoe]

Or what?

 

[SFJoe]

I have been to Cote-Rotie, but have not visited Rostaing, so I cannot comment on his vineyard work. Since you follow the guy around for half the year, perhaps you can enlighten us?

 

[mark e]

originally posted by pab:

90% of the quality of a wine came from the work in the vineyard

Potential quality. If you have cellar practices that corrupt the vineyard work the wine ain't worth nuttin'.

 

[pab]

originally posted by mark e:

originally posted by pab:

90% of the quality of a wine came from the work in the vineyard

Potential quality. If you have cellar practices that corrupt the vineyard work the wine ain't worth nuttin'.

If you have cellar pratices that corrupt... You can buy the grappes at Walmart. The result will be the same : bad.

But if you don't work in the vineyards, it's impossible to have an impressiv result.

The problem is that working in the vineyard is very expensiv.

 

[Yixin]

originally posted by pab:
But if you don't work in the vineyards, it's impossible to have an impressiv result.

The problem is that working in the vineyard is very expensiv.

I wish that was true. Just this weekend I had a very impressive Syrah from California (from a vintage when I was living there), a German Riesling (I worked in the vineyard) and a Champagne (from a grande marque not exactly renowned for viticulture), all three of which were very impressive (and continued to be over the course of several days).

And I'm not sure if you think Rostaing isn't doing the requisite work in the vineyards, but his plots, at least in May this year, were not the worst-looking I saw.

ETA: We're not importing the wines, I was just a curious visitor.