Bonnefond Cote Rotie “Vignes de Mon Père” 22

Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines — it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.

In recent years Christophe’s daughter Lea has become his partner in winemaking. She has crafted her own cuvée, “Dans les Vignes de Mon Père” (In My Father’s Vines), of grapes selected from Rochins and Rozier, and made with whole clusters. The wine has garnered much critical acclaim (Vinous’s Josh Raynolds awarded it 97 points!). It’s a bigger wine than either Rochins or Rozier, more extracted and dense, and will require even more patience before showing its best. But all of the elements are there, and maybe a few more: some clove and spice mixed in with the fruit, smoke, and minerals; and the wine has great length.