Stephane Ogier 2015 Cote Rotie "Lancement" 750ml

The finest vintage of this cuvée to date, there's a scant four barrels of the 2015 Côte Rôtie Lancement, which comes from a site high up on the slope in the Côte Blonde end of the appellation. Completely destemmed and brought up all in new oak, it has the classic perfume this cuvée always shows yet is inky colored, deep, incredibly concentrated, and long. Exotic flowers, black cherries, hints of cassis, olive tapenade and peppery, gamey notes all soar from this full-bodied, seamless, straight up awesome Côte Rôtie that reminds me of what the 1978 Guigal La Mouline must have tasted like on release. With sweet, sweet tannin, no hard edges, and a grand, majestic personality, drink it anytime over the coming 20-25 years.

Score: 100 points -- Jeb Dunnock, jebdunnock.com, 2018