Domaine Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond Cote Rotie Les Rochains 2009 750ml

Brothers Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond run a family domaine based in Ampuis, at the heart of Côte-Rôtie, the steep, terraced northern Rhône appellation famed for perfumed Syrah. Les Rochains is a single-vineyard bottling from a steep lieu-dit in the Côte Brune, the northern sector of the appellation, whose darker, iron-rich soils give firmer, more structured wines. 2009 was a warm, sunny vintage across the northern Rhône, producing ripe, generous and concentrated reds. Now with more than 15 years of age, expect blackberry and black olive fruit with smoked meat, violet, pepper and earthy, savory notes as the tannins soften. Drink now through the early 2030s.