Maison Les Alexandrins Cote-Rotie 2016 750ml

While the nose of this wine is demure initially, whiffs of fresh blackberry, earth and shrub build with aeration. The palate surprises with bold mulberry and cassis flavors and a firm strike of acidity. Tasted in early 2020, it’s still youthful and fresh fruited but hints of smoke, fur and menthol peek through. This arresting wine should intensify through 2030 and hold further still.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Cote Rotie
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Syrah

Known as Syrah in most countries around the world, and Shiraz in Australia and certain other regions of the New World, this grape varietal has proven over the centuries to be one of the most powerful and flavorful red wine grapes there is. It is now one of the planet’s most widely grown grapes, and is a favorite with wineries as a result of its robustness and versatility. It isn’t easy to identify many characteristics of this particular varietal, due to the fact that it is highly versatile and shows significant differences in flavor and character depending on the terroir it is grown in, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, Syrah is most widely associated with full bodied, strong and loud red wines, packed full of fruity and spicy flavors, held in a beautifully deep red liquid.