Antonio Galloni

"Saturated inky ruby color. Forceful, deeply concentrated nose features remarkably pure aromas of cherry liqueur, fresh blackcurrant, pipe tobacco, truffle, espresso, violet pastille, rose and exotic oak spices. A wine of incredible depth and sweetness, with almost painfully intense dark berry and plum flavors that expand and gain richness as the wine opens in the glass. Sappy and wonderfully long; shows a dense tannic structure but there's so much fruity and spicy intensity that the wine seems downright lush. Exotic Asian spices linger endlessly in the mouth, along with a sweet flavor of creme de mure" -Josh Raynolds

Jancis Robinson

"A little less meaty than the Ch d’Ampuis. More smoky and concentrated. Intense but not OTT. There’s clearly a lot of oak but the vibrant healthy fruit just seems to swallow it up. On the palate, meaty black fruit, liquorice and a hint of violets. Tannins are very very fine but still pretty firm. Long and delicious with just the right amount of freshness from the tannins and the acidity combined."

Decanter

"A deeper, more introspective aromatic range compared to La Mouline and La Turque 2001 on opening, more deeply herbal, with bay leaf and coal dust. It smells dark and faintly balsamic. It’s not fuller than La Turque, but certainly more structured, with bigger tannins and more piercing acidity. This is a great distant thunderclap of a wine, with rolling tannins. There's a more noticeable grain to the tannin, like licking a Cohiba cigar. Long, deep, and arguably not ready yet - this will unfurl even more with time. There are some deep-set leathery notes, and it's much more textural than La Mouline or La Turque. Saltier too. Like an old Rolls Royce, this has great charm and unmistakable luxury. Clearly a Brune side Côte-Rôtie, and a serious one."

"Though not as open as the La Mouline, this is is starting to show an impressive range of Turkish coffee, roasted mesquite, singed iron and mulled currant aromas. The densely packed core has blueberry, blackberry and anise in reserve, while the seriously tannic finish may be the longest of the three "La La" wines in this vintage."