Bernard Levet, Cote-Rotie La Chavaroche, 2012

Bernard Levet is one of Côte-Rôtie's last true traditionalists, a tiny Ampuis family domaine (now led by daughter Agnès) carried unbroken by importer Neal Rosenthal since 1983. La Chavaroche comes from a 1.2-hectare, southwest-facing parcel of roughly 40-year-old vines on the schist-and-granite Côte Brune, made with mostly whole clusters, three-week macerations, and three years in large old oak. The 2012 came from a difficult season rescued by a strong September, yielding a wine that trades sheer power for elegance and aromatic charm. A refined, savory Chavaroche drinking well now with more to give.