Bonnefond’s Côte Rôties age marvelously-we’ve had them 10 and 15 years out and they’re simply delicious. Today this wine shows red cherries, licorice, black pepper, cloves, and leather-in a decade or two it will add earthy, woodsy notes along with iodine, soy, and dried flowers.
Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond make very pure, concentrated wines (both Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie) with the top cuvées, Rochains and Côte Rosiers, both adjoining La Landonne on either side, built for longue garde (long aging).
Their Côte Rôtie shows plum, roasted meats and black pepper; the mouth is spiced and dense, showing olives and dark chocolate, and a hint of smoke. The inky tannins here are firm but not harsh, and with a few hours in a carafe this is a lovely glass of wine. We wouldn’t be the first to volunteer to work the vertigo-inducing “fields” of Bonnefond’s vineyards, but we’re certainly glad someone does.