Vidal Fleury Cote Rote

Epic Rhone Wine tasting Two of my favourites were the Côte-Rotie Brun et Blonde du Vidal Fleury 2007 and it's sister wine the La Chatillonne Côte-Rotie 'Côte Blonde' 2007.

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For those who don't know Côte-Rotie is a blend of Syrah & about 10% Viognier from the Northern Rhone region in France. The vines grow on dangerously steep slopes in a bend in the river Rhone, resulting in those slopes become the perfect sun trap.

The Brun & Blonde are a blend of vineyards but the La Chatillonne is single vineyard wine renowned for it's elegance.   

Seriously deep full bodied wines with smoky peppery aromas and a fantastically rounded pallet. The finish on both wines is so long I could still taste the blackcurrent, cherries and violets long after I'd left the Vidal-Fleury cellars.   

A lot of the time these kind of wines are drunk far too you but it's amazing how just a little bit of ageing can make all the difference. Thankfully the 2007s are drinking perfectly now making them a classic example of why Côte-Rotie is truly one of the most iconic wines in the world!