Yves Cuilleron, Côte-Rôtie (Rhône Valley, France) 2017

 A couple of Cuilleron’s releases from Côte-Rôtie were “just” good in their 2017 renditions (“Bassenon” and “Madinière,” both checking in at 92 points), but this was fantastic, showing extremely expressive aromatics and then backing them up with concentrated fruit and plenty of spicy wood.  A powerful wine that really lives up to the intense profile of the vintage, yet retains the magical charm of Côte-Rôtie on account of its lovely perfume and overall balance and proportionality.  Powerful but still amazingly pure, this is a great accomplishment.