Jamet - Arguably the most sommelier Instagram Delectable popular of the Cote Rotie producers and it's hard to dissent. Utterly classic wines with aromas that leap from the glass. Brilliant textures and precision these age effortlessly. The Cote Brune bottling is especially sought after.
Bernard Burgaud - A humble man who only makes one wine, a singular and stunning Cote Rotie from his assorted holdings in Brune et Blonde. While many producers make single vineyard wines, Burgaud only makes a blended wine which is how Cote Rotie used to be in the late 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's and up to the mid 60's. After that Guigal introduced his single vineyard wines and a revolution was born. This is a wine that demands aging and in top vintages extra aging. But the wait is worth it.
Gilles Barge - This estate was actually the first estate to bottle Cote-Rotie in 1929. Now young Julien is in charge and this absolutely classic estate. I adore these wines and they demand age as well but have so much finesse and authenticity when at apogee the wait is again worth it. They do have one Cote Rotie that can be drunk young, the Cuvee de Plessy, of which the 12 is drinking perfectly now. But the Cote Brune is the best by far and also needs long aging and a serious decant. There is also La Combard and La Cote Blonde (only made in 13 and 15) which are spectacular as well. Combard is very masculine and demands age. The 11 is just starting to drink well. The 13 La Cote Blonde is fun now but really will be better in 10 years.
Maryline & Christophe Billon - From a young man who used to roll barrels at Guigal to being one of the most under the radar producers in Cote-Rotie Billon is a star and no one knows it yet. He is a very talented winemaker and releases late. Maybe a lesson he learned from Guigal. In structured vintages, his wines need 5-7 years to unwind. In normal years after 2-3 years, these are black fruited and super fresh wines with dazzling complexity. His super cuvee called "La Brocarde" is a bit woody when it is young but after 10-16 years is glorious. He remains very reasonably priced for wines of such high quality.
Benetiere - This is a tiny production wine and has gotten very expensive recently but the Cordeloux is a wonderful wine with stunning precision and depth and is made in a classical old school style. He also makes Dollum in the best years which is from Cote Brune. These remain deeply fruited yet dazzlingly fresh. Worth it if you can find them.
Jean-Michel Stephan - Another newish very popular hip producer making wines in an old school style. He also produces a killer "nature" Cote Rotie that is the earliest amongst his releases. He is very influenced by Jules Chauvet and is considered the father of natural Cote-Rotie. Despite that the wines remain true to their terroir and are brilliant examples of Cote Rotie. He makes a classic and 3 single vineyards. Tupin and Bassenon are the single vineyards while the VV en Coteaux is a special selection of old vine serine (special clone of Syrah that he has a lot of) from Bassenon. Don't miss these.
Bernard Levet - Another staunch traditionalist whose wines demand age. Really demand age. They are the most horsey and funky Cote Roties out there but that is part of the appeal. There is the classic and essential Chavaroche. Not for everyone as it is feral and wild as it gets but I appreciate it for its uncompromising quality and uniqueness. It also happens to be profound when aged. There is also a Cote Rotie called Les Journaires which I have never had. It's from old vines in La Landonne and is very rare. It can be drunk earlier than Chavaroche but still needs time. Cerebral and original wines. Try them because if you like them, you love them.
Xavier Gerard - A relatively new producer on the scene, young Xavier took over his family's estate recently and makes one stunning and dazzling Cote Rotie. This is all about purity, finesse and elegance. A true and classic Cotie Rotie that is classically made and will age for decades. But it can be drunk young due to its accessible style. But don't let that make you complacent and drink it all in its fiery youth.
Compagnie l'Hermitage - This is the wine shop run by the legendary George "The Greek" Lelesektglou and he has teamed up with top winemakers to make terrific single vineyard wines from places such as Hermitage and of course Cote-Rotie. He makes a La Brocarde which is located in the northern part of the appellation these wines always needs 5-6 years but once they do the density and intense levels of fruit combined with top notch elegance, incredible site character make these a can't miss.
Christophe Pichon - Pichon is perhaps an anomaly on this list as he is not classic per se but he still nails the essence of Cote-Rotie while also being the most talented producer when it coming to using oak. He is just a master. He makes 3 cuvee and all age worthy but the Comtesse La Cote Blonde after proper aging will slay you.
This list is the last of the big 3 appellations of the Northern Rhone. It took me the longest to come up with because while there are a number of Cote Rotie producers (more than Hermitage and Cornas) yet there are few that make classical, elegant Cote Rotie. You'll find no Guigal here. Cote Rotie is a wine of finesse and elegance above all. Also the aromas are very important. With up to 20% Viognier permitted in Cote Rotie, this helps the aromas really jump out of the glass. So I finally bring you my list which took a lot of soul searching. As usual in no particular order.
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