As of 2015, René Rostaing had made 44 vintages of Côte Rôtie. And it was time to turn the domaine over to his son Pierre, who had been working alongside him for years.

For the hand-off, René just happened to pick possibly the greatest Côte Rôtie vintage since 1947. With 60+ harvests under his belt, Marcel Guigal said he’d never seen a year like it. For Pierre Rostaing, it was the chance to seal his reputation his first time out.

In this surreally great year, a perfect wine from Côte Blonde was pre-ordained. And its 100-point Wine Advocate rating surprised no one. But the world was not prepared for a 2015 La Landonne that easily rivals—and may one day surpass—the iconic Blonde. Indeed, its 99+ Wine Advocate rating only scratches the surface of what a special wine it is.

As Rostaing’s long-time US importer, we had the privilege of witnessing this miracle unfold in barrel. As we knew it would be a historic wine, we salted away a few cases to await even greater fireworks.

Back Story

Pierre’s birthright as a Côte Rôtie traditionalist may have no peer in the modern era. Not only is he the son of René Rostaing, his grandfather and great uncle were Albert Dervieux and Marius Gentaz, respectively.

The lineage is clear: there’s a direct connection between Pierre’s 2015 La Landonne and the Côte Rôties of Dervieux and Gentaz. Just like his ancestor’s wine, the 2015 Rostaing La Landonne is a brilliant example of purity and expression of terroir.

It’s a wine of great power and richness, owing to its location in the northern part of Côte Rôtie that’s often referred to as the Côte Brune. Yet, it will develop even more profound aromatics and wonderful texture and sweetness on the palate with age, ultimately achieving the ethereal balance of lightness and concentration that is the hallmark of this great cuvée.

And Pierre captured all of the tremendous potential of terroir and vintage. He did so using an approach developed through three generations, beginning with great-grandfather Jean-Marie Buffens, who planted the family’s Côte Blonde plot in 1934.

But Pierre’s most profound influence was his father René, who over nearly a half century made Côte Rôties that—with a high proportion of whole clusters and very little new wood—express both site and variety with majestic clarity.

That he has thoroughly absorbed René’s teachings—learned firsthand through their many years working together—is clearly evident in the brilliant 2015 La Landonne.

Please don’t miss this unique opportunity to acquire one of the great Côte Rôties of our time.