Saturated magenta. A wild, highly expressive bouquet evokes an array of black and blue fruits, pungent flowers, smoked meat, licorice and exotic spices, with a bright mineral overtone. Offers palate-coating, deeply concentrated cassis, cherry liqueur, smoky bacon, fruitcake and licorice flavors that turn livelier as the wine stretches out. The mineral and spice notes build steadily through a strikingly long finish that's framed by strong but velvety tannins that are quickly absorbed by the wine's dense, dark fruit.

Classic La Landonne notes of smoked meats, red and black fruits, ground pepper, and woodsmoke emerge from the 2020 Côte Rôtie Les Journaries, another rich, yet seamless, pure, and impeccably balanced barrel sample. I love its purity of fruit, it has ripe tannins, and is a very complete, harmonious 2020 that will shine with just a few years in the cellar. This cuvée (also known as Maestria in Europe), which comes from the La Landonne, Côte Blonde, and Côte Rozier, sees plenty of stems and mostly older barrels.