2020 Levet ‘Les Journaries’ Cote Rotie 1.5L

96 Vinous Media (Josh Reynolds)

Saturated magenta. A wild, highly expressive bouquet evokes an array of black and blue fruits, pungent flowers, smoked meat, licorice and exotic spices, with a bright mineral overtone. Offers palate-coating, deeply concentrated cassis, cherry liqueur, smoky bacon, fruitcake and licorice flavors that turn livelier as the wine stretches out. The mineral and spice notes build steadily through a strikingly long finish that’s framed by strong but velvety tannins that are quickly absorbed by the wine’s dense, dark fruit.

94-96 Robert Parker WA
Again a prospective sample blended from several barrels, the 2020 Cote Rotie Les Journaries (labeled Maestria outside the United States) is a blend of fruit from La Landonne and Cte Brune. It’s full-bodied, rich and tannic, even chewy, with plenty of concentration, yet it’s also fresh and fruit-driven, with vibrant notes of purple raspberries and exotic spices. This should be terrific; it just needs a good 5+ years.

Les Journaries is a cuve drawn from grapes harvested from old vines in the La Landonne lieu-dit (mad famous by Guigal). This wine is just a touch more subtle than the Chavaroche. With a bouquet of violets, wild berries, a touch of animal and resinous-like tannins that speak of the inclusion of stems (a hallmark of the Levet tradition). The Journaries is approachable at an earlier stage than its companion La Chavaroche but, that being said, it is a wine that not only ages gracefully but almost requires a touch of patience.

Levets Incredible 2020 Cote-Roties:

Continuing on from a strong 2019 showing, these 2020s are seen as the best ever from Levet. As we all know La Landonne is one of the most sought out vineyards in Cote Rotie (Guigal made it famous), 70% of the Journaries is made up of La Landonne fruit. Super traditonal, the winemaking here is exceptional to allow the site and grape express itself.

• Staked and head trained, vines are planted at 8,000-9,000 vines/ha and average 45 years old.
• Lutte raisonne farming. Mostly copper-sulfate and other organic treatments.
• Annual working of the soil to maintain vineyard health.
• Journaries see 30-40% destemming, while Chavaroche ferments as whole clusters.
• Journaries spends 24 months divided between 600-l demi muids and 30-hl foudres (15% new oak.) Chavaroche spends 24 months in 600-l demi muids, 30% of them new.