Côte-Rôtie Bons Arrêts Monteillet (Domaine du) - Stéphane Montez 2021

Les Bons Arrêts is a one-hectare lieu-dit nestled at the heart of the Côte-Rôtie appellation on the right bank of the Rhône. Facing south-east, it stretches across a dizzyingly steep slope, requiring backbreaking, entirely manual work. The Monticello estate owns this entire vineyard, cultivating Syrah and Viognier on terraces supported by dry-stone walls. The hand-harvested grapes are carefully sorted both in the vineyard and again on a vibrating sorting table in the winery before being entirely destemmed. Fermentations are triggered by native yeasts and last three to four weeks, with no punching down but a submerged cap. The wine is then transferred to barrels for a 20-month ageing period in the estate’s 17th-century cellars.
Bons Arrêts (where a touch of Viognier complements the Syrah) delivers remarkable fruit purity and a nose marked by blackcurrant, spices, and smoky, bacon-like notes. The palate offers an exquisitely silky texture, where power is balanced by a fine acidity. An extremely elegant wine that lingers beautifully on the palate.