Owning 20+ acres of some of the finest vineyards in Côte-Rôtie, René Rostaing is, by all accounts, among the top tier producers in the northern Rhone.   Considered by his US importer (The Rare Wine Company) as an enlightened traditionalist, René employs roto-fermenters along with a minimal 20% to 30% new wood on his Côte-Rôties.  Destemming depends on the wine with the Cuvée Classique being 100% destemmed while his top cuvee, the Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, seeing only 50% destemming.

In the late 1990s, René and his wife purchased the small estate, Domaine Puech Chaud, near Nîmes. This domaine possesses a cool micro climate along with limestone soils and he produces both a red and white blend from this estate.

The new Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Les Lézardes releases come from several parcels of old vines just outside of Côte-Rôtie.

While tasting through these wines, René’s stated aversion for large scaled, oak driven wines is very apparent and all of his wines rely on balance, nuance and overall harmony as opposed to pure power. They all have a strong, acidic core that, upon first opening, can be slightly unfriendly but these wines flesh out beautifully with air. While certainly enjoyable now, the balance, fruit quality and solid  structure suggests that the top wines have a long life ahead of them.

2005 Rene Rostaing Coteaux du Languedoc Puech Chaud Blanc (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc)
Showing pretty floral, tropical and peach aromatics,the 2005 Rene Rostaing Coteaux du Languedoc Puech Chaud is medium bodied with clean, ripe fruit, a smooth texture and a crisp finish. (88 pts.)

2007 Rene Rostaing Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Blanc Les Lezardes(France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes)
Big, rich and intense, the 2007 Rene Rostaing Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Blanc Les Lezardes is packed with ripe melon and guava fruit notes mixed with crushed stone and spice nuances. The palate is medium to full bodied with a rich, fat texture and a medium length finish.(89 pts.)

2007 Rene Rostaing Coteaux du Languedoc Puech Noble (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc)
A blend of 90% syrah and 10% Mourvedre, the 2007 Rene Rostaing Coteaux du Languedoc Puech Noble possesses great aromatics of black cherry and raw meat mixed with copious slate and mineral notes. The palate is medium bodied with a classy, elegant texture, impressive balance and a long, clean finish. Pure, clean and delicious, I’d drink this over the next 8 to 10 years. (90 pts.)

2006 Rene Rostaing Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Les Lézardes (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes)
100% Syrah from a very steep slope that is just outside Côte-Rôtie, the 2006 Rene Rostaing Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Les Lézardes has smokey raspberry and cherry notes intermixed with vanilla, leather and subtle barnyard. The palate has good fruit but falls off on the mid-palate. It makes up for it with a long, impressive finish that shows fine grained tannins. (88 pts.)

2006 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
The 2006 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie possesses spicy and perfumed aromatics of raspberries, spiced meat, minerals and subtle barnyard. In the mouth, this has a medium bodied, elegant character to go along with ripe, sweet fruit, a silky texture and a long finish. Beautifully balanced and supple, this should drink well over the next 10 years. (90 pts.)

2006 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
The 2006 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde is more feminine and supple than the ‘06 La Landonne and offers up pretty, complex aromas of sweet raspberries and red fruits mixed with wild herbs, game, minerals and smoke that lead into a rich, medium bodied palate. Soft and fruity with a vibrant core of sweet fruit and acidity, this firms up on the long finish, showing beautiful cut, precision and purity. This silky, beautifully balanced and harmonious Syrah was still going strong three days after opening and if anything, continued to flesh out and gain richness with air. (93 pts.)

2005 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
Big and intense, the 2005 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne is bigger and more concentrated then either the ‘06 Côte Blonde or ‘06 La Landonne and offers up gorgeous notes of smoked meat, violets, pepper and copious amounts of mineral and iron to go along with its medium to full bodied palate. Concentrated and rich, this has vibrant acidity, beautiful purity and a long, finish where the quality of the wine really shows. I’d let these rest for 5 or 6 years and then drink them over the following 20 years.
(94+ pts.)

2006 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne (France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie)
Deep, dark  red in color, the 2006 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Landonne shows a perfumed, masculine and gamey nose of pepper meat, smoke and black raspberries intermixed with copious amounts of earth, iron and mineral aromas.  The palate is medium to full bodied with dark, meaty fruit, beautiful precision  and lively acidity that carries into the long finish.  Balanced, clean and long, this doesn’t show the level of harmony or integration of the Côte Blonde but has more structure and depth.  I’d hold for a couple years and then drink over the next 15+.  (93+ pts.)

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