Not gonna lie to you, the Rhône is my bae (though lately I've been two-timing him for Tuscany -- but that's neither here nor there), and when I need a domestic Rhône fix right here in Washington, I like to pop a bottle of Rôtie. The winery's name comes from the Côte Rôtie, the northernmost of the Rhône's regions, so you can tell from the get go that this place has got France on the brain. Does spending all that time thinking about France deliver the goods? Yep, sure does, and when the partner (my other bae) and I tasted there here was the line-up:
We kicked off with the Southern White, a Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne number that was alternately smelling of honey, lemon curd and white flowers and then tasting of candied pear and minerals. The Northern White was all Marsanne and had kumquat on the nose but apples and a nice leesy quality on the palate. The Southern White was a little lighter and crisper but the Northern had some meat on its bones and either one of them would make a great summer whine all depending on how high the mercury gets.
The reds kicked off with the Little G, a 100% Grenache. There's a grape that can't normally get enough love in Washington, but Rôtie knows how to treat it right and what they ended up with was a smooth wine with a great cherry, umami, black pepper thing happens across the senses. The Southern Blend tapped Grenache for a starring role again but partnered it with Syrah and Mourvèdre to deliver a complex palate with a nice hit of fruit up front followed by herbal and spice notes, and its burly big brother the Northern Blend was mostly Syrah and all about dark fruit and tobacco.
They had a bottle on offer called Sword Fight which was an even split between Mourvèdre and Syrah that was a very solid wine but my least favorite out of the bunch. Happily, they saved the best for last and we got a pour of the 2013 Homage, a Mourvèdre-driven beauty that isn't made every year (the last time was 2010). Cherry and pepper on the nose and followed up by a restrained and elegant palate, this wine gets its name from being a tribute to the Mourvèdres of Bandol in Southern France and it has the chops to age just like its trans-Atlantic cousins. We walked out with three bottles.
Bottom line: Great wines along with a nice tasting space and a professional and knowledgeable guide through our tasting earned this place 5 stars but I'd be tempted to keep the score the same even if they slacked a little on the aesthetics or the service. read more