Domaine Bonnefond Côte Rôtie Colline de Couzou 2021

Domaine Bonnefond sits in the Côte Rôtie, the northern Rhône appellation that is a benchmark for Syrah. Brothers Christophe and Patrick Bonnefond have farmed their vineyards since 1990, and Colline de Couzou is a single-variety Syrah drawn from their terraced sites. The Côte Rôtie hillsides are steep and worked by hand, with schist and mica-rich soils that hold warmth and drain quickly, pushing the vines to ripen fully while the northern latitude and altitude keep acidity firm. This balance of ripeness and freshness is what gives the appellation its mix of power and finesse. The wine ages eighteen months in French oak, which softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange and frames rather than masks the fruit. The colour is deep purple. The nose shows dark plum and blackberry, cracked black pepper, smoked meat, olive and a floral violet lift typical of the hill. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe dark fruit, fine grained tannins and a savoury, mineral finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted for an hour, in a large glass. It calls for red meat and game.