2022 Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Couzou, Jean-Luc Jamet
Critics reviews
Lovely nose that has some honeyed notes and a touch of green orchard fruit. The palate is fresh and quite lean with a crystalline feel. Really quite a tight and light style. Some good fruit here, with lime and pear notes on the fresh, layered finish.
Drink 2024 - 2030
Alistair Cooper MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2023)
With its bright apricot characters, this is juicy and full of flavour. It’s punchy, with nice vibrancy and good acidity. A Marsanne-dominated, crystalline style.
Drink 2023 - 2025
Matt Walls, Decanter.com (September 2023)
About this WINE
Vignoble Jean-Luc Jamet
Jean-Luc Jamet worked for many years alongside his brother Jean-Paul at the family estate, Domaine Jamet, before setting off on his own in 2013. He now works a total of eight hectares with his son, Benoit: five hectares of Côte-Rôtie, two of Côtes-du-Rhône and one hectare of Vin de Pays. Currently undergoing extensive renovations, the estate can be found on the plateau at Le Vallin, an impressively windy drive above the slopes of the Côte Rôtie. His flagship wine is the Côte-Rôtie Terrasses and is receiving increasing interest – though his generic labels should not be over-looked. He is even experimenting with non-Rhône varieties under his IGP labels.
This is the second year running we’ll be offering Jean-Luc’s wines, following on from the success of last year. His 2020 Côte-Rôtie shows the concentration and intensity of this bold but elegant vintage, while his white showcases the acid structure and purity of the 2021s — both with plenty of personality and ageing potential.
Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône, located in southern France’s Rhône Valley, is one of the country’s largest and most well-known wine appellations. The region is renowned for producing a wide range of high-quality wines, with vineyards extending from just south of Lyon in the north to Avignon in the south, covering both banks of the Rhône River.
Côtes du Rhône is celebrated for its wide array of red and white grape varieties. The primary red grape varieties include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, while the main white grape varieties consist of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne.
The region is divided into several appellations, each with distinct characteristics and regulations. The hierarchy ranges from the broad Côtes du Rhône appellation to more specific and prestigious sub-appellations like Côtes du Rhône Villages and Crus such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Hermitage.
The region benefits from a diverse terroir, contributing to the different wine styles. The northern part has a continental climate, while the southern portion enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which plays a vital role in grape ripening and flavour development.
The red wines are highly regarded for their rich and robust flavours. They often exhibit notes of dark fruits, herbs, spices, and distinctive peppery quality, especially in the Syrah-dominated wines from the northern Rhône.
The white wines are typically aromatic and elegant, with flavours of stone fruits, floral notes, and hints of mineral complexity.
Côtes du Rhône also produces excellent rosé wines, which are refreshing and perfect for warm weather enjoyment.
Winemaking in Côtes du Rhône has a long history from ancient times. The region preserves a combination of traditional methods and modern techniques, allowing winemakers to express the unique characteristics of their terroir.
Côtes du Rhône wines are versatile and pair well with a wide range of dishes, including roasted meats, hearty stews, grilled vegetables, and cheeses.
White Rhône Blend
With the exception of the wines from Condrieu and Château-Grillet virtually all Rhône Valley whites are made from blends.
In the north, the white wines of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and St-Péray are produced from blends of Marsanne and Roussanne. Generally Marsanne is the dominant partner and it lends colour, body and weight to the blend, as well as richly scented fruit. Roussanne, a notoriously low yielder and pernickety to grow, produces intensely aromatic wines which contribute bouquet, delicacy and finesse to the blend.
Until about 15 years ago there was very little interest in southern Rhône whites as it was widely believed that the combination of dull non aromatic grapes and the baking summer heat meant quality wine production was nigh impossible. Since then the quality has improved markedly through the introduction of cool fermentation techniques and increased plantings of northern Rhône white grapes.
The base of many blends is still Grenache Blanc, a widely planted variety producing fresh wines with apple-like fruits, often with hints of aniseed. Ugni Blanc is still found in many blends, as is Clairette though their general lack of character and definition has led to a reduction in plantings. The future for southern Rhône whites appears to lie with Roussanne, Marsanne, and, increasingly, Viognier.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
Both this wine and its sister red, Enclave, come from a small section of unclassified Côte-Rôtie vineyards in the Bonnivière and Champin area. A blend of 65% Marsanne, 20% Viognier and 20% Roussanne, this shows a striking minerality from its granitic soils. This new vintage has a delicate floral note with hints of lilac and bluebell over a firm, stoney palate.
Drink 2024 - 2032
Berry Bros. & Rudd
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee