1985 Jamet Côte-Rôtie

For the most muscle in the appellation, one heads up to Le Vallin where the Jamets live. For me, it’s a tough call as to who did better in ’85, the Jamets or Gentaz. Many wines from ’85 have such low acid levels combined with high extract that they come off as corpulent rather than opulent. No problem here; the Jamet is massive and well-structured, backing up the mouthcoatingly high extract with a lively texture. Want perfume? You got perfume! Raspberries, leather, and violets are the dominant smells, with a nice smoky spice to remind you where the grapes came from. For a Jamet, it has surprisingly low brett levels. This bottle, gray-market and bought on release, is just starting to hit its prime drinking years. World-class, the stuff from which Triple Curlys are made.

SY (4/99)