Now under the watch of René Rostaing’s son, Pierre, the quality of the wines here has not missed a beat. Pierre Rostaing shares the same fastidious character, curiosity, wry wit and occasional philosophic traits of his father. A visit here always provides plenty of insight because both Rostaings are strongly opinionated and refreshingly frank when discussing vintages and their likes and dislikes. Fast-talking salesmen they are not. JOSH RAYNOLDS, vinous.com

Young Pierre Rostaing has been on a roll, making some of the best wines in Côte Rôtie from his family's choice parcels in La Landonne, La Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. It's my impression that the quality of the blended Ampodium is also reaching new heights, although it cannot compete with the near perfection achieved by the single-vineyard wines. JOE CZERWINSKI, Wine Advocate

[ON ROSTAINGS 2021s] this is the style of Syrah that we fell in love with when we first discovered Côte-Rôtie. BERRY BROS & RUDD

The 2021 vintage at Rene Rostaing is a return to the defining elegance of Cote Rotie in years gone by. The Rostaings, Pierre and his father Rene, have always been driven by the pursuance of elegance in their Cote Rotie, a feature which they say defines the wines from those in say Hermitage and Cornas. Well the cool 2021 vintage has delivered that in a year in which those blessed with the finest vineyard holdings, like Rostaing, are where we should look to invest our hard earned dollars. 

Guigal has the big name, Jamet has the cult following, but Rostaing has carved out their chair at the table with a brilliant reputation for producing wines of understated beauty. Wines of soaring aromatics that meld with graphite, dark fruits and Cote Rotie's trademark earthy spice. These are wines unobscured by oak, there is very little new used, pure and deep they instead rely on terroir and savvy winemaking to build structure and shape to their wines which have a remarkable ability to age. 

Pierre Rostaing runs the show today, and has not only kept up to the cracking pace set by Rene, but is pushing ahead too, no doubt buoyed by youthful energy and an deep understanding of the wines built by his father side from a young age. Joe Czerwinski comments above that despite its already lofty position the Ampodium cuvee is reaching new heights under Pierre's watch. In 2021 it has a little extra juice as well as La Viaillère was not made this year due to tiny yields due to frost, so that fruit has now all ended up in Ampodium.  

These are of course some of the greatest wines in Cote Rotie today, a hillside which is responsible for the greatest Syrah made anywhere on the planet and the Rostaings lay claim to some of the most revered pieces of that patchwork of vineyards. These are wines made with cellaring and a long life ahead. However while a good 10-15 years plus is needed before some of the muscular, powerful wines from the previous string of warm vintages is needed before they yield to the passage of time, the 2021s will be more approachable in the shorter term with their finer more pliant structures. If you love the elegance, beauty and refinement Cote Rotie can imbue into Syrah, then this is a vintage for you.