The darkest, most concentrated and tannic of the 2016 La Las, the 2016 Cote Rotie La Landonne boasts hints of smoked meat and scorched coffee on the nose, waves of cassis fruit and hints of olives and herbs. Medium to full-bodied, this is packed with tannin, ripe fruit and intricate nuances of savory complexity. Rich and velvety, with terrific texture and impressive length, it's a sure bet to evolve gracefully for the next 20-25 years.

Bright purple. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, incense and potpourri, while olive and exotic spice nuances build in the glass. Intense, alluringly sweet black/blue fruit, spicecake and violet pastille flavors show sharp delineation and a spine of juicy acidity. Closes extremely long and precise, displaying a smoky, intensifying mineral quality and youthfully gripping tannins that build steadily.

This sports some ripe black cherry, bitter plum and black currant fruit flavors allied to a bolt of cast iron through the middle, while mesquite, bay leaf and savory notes scurry about. Shows lots of energy and detail on the finish, with the cast iron edge extending lengthily. Should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2040. 125 cases imported.

The 2016 Côte Rôtie La Landonne showed brilliantly, with the more fresh, classic, and elegant style of the vintage front and center. All Syrah aged four years in new French oak, it has a magical bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberries, smoked meat, roasted coffee, bacon fat, and graphite that's to die for. This carries over to the palate, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a flawlessly balanced texture, ripe yet silky tannins, and the hallmark purity and freshness of the vintage. It's going to be relatively approachable (at least by this cuvée's standards) in its youth and should be drinking nicely in 6-7 years, yet it has the class and balance to evolve for 30+ years.