Wednesday Wines – Episode 307 – Stéphane Ogier Mes Grands Lieux vertical, and launch of 2016
I have told Stéphane Ogier’s story many times at tastings over the years, but I never met him until recently, when he came to London to launch 2016 Mes Grands Lieux. I am a huge fan of the work he has done since taking over from his father back in the late Nineties. His mission over the last nearly 30 years has been to fine-tune every single plot of vines in his estate, while gradually bringing a sense of true balance and awe-inspiring complexity to his wines. Ogier’s Côtes-du-Rhône pair, entitled Les Temps Est Venu, shows just how cultured white and red wines can be at genuinely competitive prices – I urge you to seek them out. While Stéphane’s main aim was to showcase the 2016 vintage of this fascinating wine, as it is the wine that was launched recently, he kindly opened a fascinating vertical collection of this wine, including four as yet unreleased vintages, and you can read my notes on all these wines below. As the makeup of each wine is so complex, I have photographed the tech sheets that accompanied this tasting and attached them to my article below.
2020 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier (to be released in the future)
The nose is spot-on, offering both gravitas and wildness in equal measure. The palate is the most tannic and most drying, which makes sense, because it is the youngest, but this is also a factor of the 2020 vintage. This will be the longest-lived of all these wines, and what I like most is that it is already showing precision and stunning depth of field. The micro-plot-blending philosophy is really bearing fruit, and it shows that with patience and gradual tweaking, you can make awe-inspiring wines. 19+/20
2019 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier (to be released in the future)
This is a superbly concentrated wine, with a nose that shows more volume and depth, and it appears darker and more luxurious. The overall blend is 81% Côte Brune, and I am certain this is part of the reason for its powerful stance, along with the hot summer! The palate is spicy, bold, fine-grained, and delicious, and while it is still young, this is already a very expressive and dynamic wine. It will be a crowd-pleaser and, unlike some older vintages, will appeal to experts and newcomers alike. Easy, open, bright, and seriously delicious, it is bound to be drinking on release, in a couple of years’ time. 19/20 (Drink 2028 – 2040)
2018 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier (to be released in the future)
The outlier: this is not as noticeable C-R on the nose or palate, and the fruit is smooth, one-tone and one-message right now, and it ought to fragment and open, showing more complexity, but I am not convinced today. I like the neat finish and the tidy feeling on the palate, but it appears to lack depth and length, and while these traits might appear, this is not going to turn out, no matter what happens, to be on a level with the others at this tasting. 17.5/20 (Drink now – 2032)
2017 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier (to be released in the future)
More backward than the 2016 and shaped a little more like the elegance of the 2012, but with more horsepower, this is a fascinating wine that looks young and tightly coiled, but it appears almost ready to launch forward. There is more fluidity and balance here, so it flatters somewhat, and there is a load of earth and spice, too, which needs to be resolved. Yet this is a classic vintage for Ogier because it chimes with his more sensitive and careful farming and measured blending. This is a super elegant C-R, and it will age in a more predictable manner than the 2012. Interestingly, this is the last vintage in which Stéphane used any new oak. He now favours large formats, too, where appropriate. 18.5/20
2016 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier, Northern Rhône, France (Launched on 19th March, RRP £485.00 In Bond per 6 bottles, www.hhandc.co.uk, www.farrvintners.com, www.honestgrapes.co.uk, www.bbr.com, www.clarionwines.co.uk, www.vinquinn.com).
2016 Mes Grands Lieux, a glorious tapestry of interwoven Côte-Rôtie lieux-dits (parcels of vines), sensitively oaked and then matured in bottle in Stéphane’s cellar for 10 years before release. When you combine 16% Leyat, with 15% Lancement, 12% But-de-Mont, 12% Montmain, 10% Le Champon, 9% La Viallière, 7% Fongeant, 6% Cognet, 5% Côte Bodin, 5% Côte Rozier and 3% Bertholon, you stand an outside chance of making an interesting wine. If you are Stéphane Ogier, you are likely to fashion a masterpiece. It smells luxurious and velvety, while tasting complete, superbly honed, with no elements missing or pushed too hard. This is a regal creation with wide appeal, given it ticks the classic box while showing stunning flair and modern understanding. There is tension on the finish, but no obvious tannins lingering around, spoiling the final fruit fanfare. This is a sensational wine, and I immediately awarded it a mighty score in my notes. 19/20
2012 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier (available from importers New Generation Wines)
Gentler, more pliable and fine-grained, this is a harmonious, quieter style with a more Burgundian stance and less overt animal tones. It appeals to me, but might not work so well with those who favour more powerful styles of this grape. The finish is light, fresh, and cherry-soaked, and it shows little tannin and some roundness, yet it is still perfectly balanced. Drinking now and superbly suave, I like this vintage a lot. It perfectly represents the vintage, too, which is very satisfying. Interestingly, while I have given this wine a half-point lower than the 2010, I personally prefer it. 18/20 (Drink now)
2010 Côte-Rôtie, Mes Grands Lieux, Domaine Stéphane Ogier (not available in the UK)
More meaty and ‘hotter’ and spicier on the nose, this is a more animal-leaning wine, and it is fully open and floral and peppery and yet it retains a rigidity and a sense of boundaries on the palate. The fruit is mineral-soaked, and some elements are tough and unyielding, while the top notes are extremely pretty. The overall balance is a little too severe for me, and yet it is certainly a classically shaped wine with unmistakable C-R hallmarks. It still retains a tannic kick, but it is in harmony with the fruit. While it has the capacity to age, I feel the fruit will fall away faster than the tannins, so I would prefer to drink this sooner rather than later. 18.5/20 (Drink now)