2017 Barruol-Lynch La Boisselée Côte-Rôtie

Every once in a very rare while, we taste a wine and get a glimpse beyond greatness—and that’s exactly what the 2017 Barruol-Lynch La Boisselée Côte-Rôtie gave us. 

This wine transmits the magic of the Northern Rhône’s roasted slopes in a way that very few do. A stunning expression of some of the region’s top terroir and the winemaking talent of 100-point craftsman Louis Barruol, it’s classically styled Côte-Rôtie at its very finest—a bottle that stands with Guigal’s La Las, which are some of our favorite wines in the world.

We would (and will) proudly pour this wine alongside Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy, and To Kalon Cabernet as a first-class exemplar of its region. It even embodies the exclusivity of the Côte-Rôtie appellation—which, at just over 740 acres, is barely three times the size of Château Lafite—with an absolutely tiny production: Only five barrels of this wine exist. 

Fortunately, because of our relationship with Barruol’s partner in this endeavor—world-renowned importer Kermit Lynch—we’ve snagged a share for Wine Access members, at a price that makes it stand well apart from its peers. The top wines from Northern Rhône stars like Stéphane Ogier and Guigal can go for $300 (and way, way more ), making this bottle a fantastic value.

This is the definition of a fascinating and engrossing wine. Deep ruby in hue, it’s dense and viscous, with aromas of macerated blackberry and black cherry fruit, cracked peppercorn, black licorice, crushed stones, toast, cocoa nibs, smoked meat, and charcuterie that all blossom as you swirl. The palate is powerful yet nimble, with perfectly ripe berry and cherry fruit carrying notes of earth, exotic spices, smoke, and pepper in waves of complexity that advance through an ultra-long finish built on fine velour tannins. Like the very best of the appellation, it’s filled with an elegant tension from start to finish.

Côte-Rôtie, the southeast-facing “roasted slopes” at the very north of the Northern Rhône region, is one of the greatest places on the planet to grow Syrah—including the intriguing heirloom clone called Petite Sérine (not to be confused with Petite Sirah). Given that it dates back to well before Côte-Rôtie emerged as a fine wine region—back to the time when farmers could earn a better living growing fruit on the banks of the Rhône than they could growing grapes on the steep hillsides—it’s a miracle that any of this variety still exists.

Petite Sérine is known for its aromatic finesse, and it has long captured the imagination of Louis Barruol. The 100-point winemaker is best known for Château de Saint Cosme in Gigondas—which Wine Spectator called “one of the most dynamic estates in all of the Rhône Valley, south or north”—but he also possesses a deep love for and knowledge of the great wines of the Northern Rhône.

Barruol and Kermit Lynch have teamed up to seek out and work with tiny amounts of the area’s Petite Sérine plantings, and for Le Boisselée, they tap a trifecta of sites in the very northern portion of Côte-Rôtie. One barrel’s worth comes from La Viallère, a site known for producing floral and fragrant Sérine from the 30-year-old vines on its 47% slope. Two barrels come from Le Plomb, just to the west of La Viallère, and two more from Besset, the northernmost vineyard in the Côte-Rôtie appellation, where cooling breezes offset the richness given by its full southern exposure.

The grapes are hand-harvested—there is no other way to do it on these daunting slopes—before being hand-sorted, then fermented with their stems in cement tanks. The wine is aged for 15 months in barrel, with new barrels added only as needed, which minimizes the influence of new oak on the wine. 

The result is a rare, tiny-production wine that displays what makes Côte-Rôtie one of the great regions of the world. We’re thrilled to have the chance to share it with you.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.00%
• 1 hour
• Now – 2042
• % Syrah
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork