Jean Luc Jamet Les Terrasses Cote Rotie 2017

Jean Luc Jamet Les Terrasses Cote Rotie 2017

Aficionados of Côte Rôtie no doubt know that the brothers Jamet split the domaine in 2013, with Jean-Luc subsequently building his own winery just on the other side of the (formerly) shared driveway. That drive is now divided by a sturdy stone wall. This was my first opportunity to visit with Jean-Luc, who spent most of his time in the vineyards when the brothers worked together, so we tasted almost all of the wines he's made since the split. He says he's working on a fresh, fruit-driven style, but that "freshness has been hard to obtain" in recent vintages. "I prefer to make a blended wine with lots of complexity," he said during my visit. There is just one Côte Rôtie as a result, which includes lots from several notable lieux-dits, including La Landonne, Lancement, Fongeant and Chavaroche. During our tasting, we were joined by Benoit Jamet, Jean-Luc's son.

Jamet's 2017 Cote Rotie was likewise still in barrel at the time of my visit. Overall, it doesn't look quite as silky or elegant as the 2018, yet it should offer plenty of complexity and also be approachable early. Crushed stone, violet and meaty notes accent boysenberry fruit in this medium to full-bodied wine, framed by ripe but firm tannins. 

(92-94) Points - Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate