Northern Rhone wine lovers are by now fairly well versed in the split between the Jamet brothers in 2013. The chatter I feel seems to persist in wine enthusiast circles precisely because the whole affair was kept so secretive and also because coming by any accurate information on the way forward for both talented Jamet brothers seemed very difficult indeed.
But the time has certainly come for wine enthusiasts to celebrate the fact that there are not one but two incredible Jamet scions making mind blowing wines in and around Cote Rotie now. Through tragedy and adversity, we are now treated to two different but equally exhilarating styles of Syrah from these gifted brothers.
Jean-Luc subsequently built his own winery just on the other side of the formerly shared driveway, now divided by a sturdy stone wall. My deep interest in the wines of Jean-Luc were perhaps encouraged by the early, slightly dismissive attitude towards his wines, after all, he wasn’t the winemaker of the previous Domaine Jamet and its iconic wines, he spent all his time in the vineyards as the viticulturalist. But as we all know, truly great wine is not made in the cellar, it is made in the vineyards!
Jean-Luc’s delicious wine style is quite different to the plusher, fleshier Domaine Jamet expressions as he prefers to focus on earlier picked grapes, lighter alcohols, brazenly fresh vibrant fruits, bright crunchy acids and a polished textural linearity to his wine’s textures. His red range encompasses a delicious Collines Rhodaniennes IGP Syrah, a Cotes du Rhone made from young vine Cote Rotie sites and finally his impressive Les Terrasses Cote Rotie made from a blend of top lieux dits sites including La Landonne, Lancement, Chavaroche and Fongeant. With Jean-Luc’s son Benoit Jamet sure to join the venture in earnest, we can expect a lot more fabulous wines produced from the Jean-Luc Jamet cellars.
Jean-Luc Jamet Valine Syrah 2017, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, 13 Abv.
Another supremely impressive and precise Syrah creation from the masterful winemaking of Jean-Luc Jamet. Lifted and exotically fragrant, the nose bristles with incense, dried garrigue, black olive, lavender blossom and sweet, sappy black peppercorn spices. True to form, Jean-Luc’s Collines-Rhodaniennes red is laser sharp, linear and precise, seamlessly silky, finely balancing piercing savoury red and black berry fruit concentration with subtle notes of black liquorice, salinity, graphite and stony schist liquid minerality. One of the Northern Rhône’s best kept secrets? Well, I am certainly happy to rave about this stunning 2017 Syrah. Drink now or over the next 5-8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Greg Sherwood MW 