Bernard Levet, Cote-Rotie Les Journaries, 2015

Les Journaries is the quieter, more elegant of Bernard Levet's two crus, a contrast to the muscle of La Chavaroche. It draws on old vines including fruit from the famed La Landonne lieu-dit, with a healthy dose of whole clusters and aging mostly in older barrels, which gives the wine its resinous, perfumed character. The Levet family farms close to organic across just 3.5 hectares in Ampuis and has kept new oak to a minimum since they started bottling in 1966. The 2015 is a rich, concentrated Northern Rhone vintage, so this normally subtle cuvee carries extra depth and weight, with firm tannins built for the cellar. Decant young, or tuck it away.