Delas, Côte-Rôtie (Rhône Valley, France) 2016

 Although I was disappointed by the performance of Delas’ “Seigneur di Maugiron” bottling of Côte-Rôtie from 2016, this top-of-the-line La Landonne bottling is fabulous.  Raised in 40% new oak, it shows plenty of woodspice and vanilla, but these are accent notes that are easily overwhelmed by the dense, extremely expressive fruit.  Black and blue fruits lead the way, with additional undertones of baking spices, carpaccio, cola, minerals and toast.  It seems both pure and fresh despite its sheer size and a healthy dose of oak, which is a hallmark of the vintage.  Gorgeous.