The 2017 La Côte Patriarche is a striking example of the dense color typical of the vintage. It’s glass-coating and near-black starting with incredibly complex and pronounced aromatics. Wet stone and graphite, dark fruits and black olive, crushed espresso bean, violets and tar…there’s something new every time you go back to the glass. The dense, inky palate is rich and silky, but with terrific brightness and pronounced tannic structure. All the weight doesn’t overcome the vibrancy however, and there’s precise focus to layered flavors of cedar, smoked meat and blackberry bramble. The finish doesn’t seem to stop. This has a long life in the cellar ahead but is an absolute joy now.