Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Coeur de Combard 2020
£73.95
The wine
An old-vine Côte-Rôtie from Domaine Barge's Coeur de Combard, pure Syrah from the appellation's steep granite slopes. A deeper, more structured expression.
Aromas of blackberry, cracked pepper, olive, violet and smoke. The palate is powerful yet refined, with fine-grained tannins, layered dark fruit and a long, savoury finish. Ageworthy northern Rhône.
A wine for roast game, beef or lamb. Decant well ahead and serve at cool room temperature.
The producer
Domaine Barge
View all Domaine Barge winesDomaine Barge is a respected family estate in the northern Rhône, in the steep hills of Côte-Rôtie above the town of Ampuis. Run by Julien Barge, it works some of the appellation's most dramatic terraced slopes. This is Syrah at its most perfumed and profound.
Côte-Rôtie, the roasted slope, faces the sun on precipitous granite and schist terraces above the Rhône. Barge grows Syrah here, sometimes co-fermented with a little Viognier in the local tradition. Painstaking, often manual work underpins every bottle.
In the cellar the approach is traditional, with whole-bunch ferments and ageing that preserve the wine's perfume and freshness. The results are fragrant, peppery and elegant, more about finesse than power. Terroir speaks clearly.
From Les Côtes to the old-vine Coeur de Combard, Domaine Barge offers Côte-Rôtie of real class. Perfumed, mineral and ageworthy, these are wines that capture the drama of the northern Rhône.
