Domaine René Rostaing Delivers Quality Rhône In Extremely Limited Quantities - At A Sharp Price

‘’René Rostaing is one of Côte Rôtie’s most masterful growers.’’

- Robert Parker

When Robert Parker says it, there is something to it... Especially when the wines in this investment tip are backed by great scores from the world's leading wine critics. The essence here is up-coming Rhône, strong price, and extremely small volumes. An investment in Côte Rôtie is an opportunity to get in early - before the wine world spotlight may really reach the region.

Côte Rôtie Sits Firmly On The Rhône Throne

The Rhône Valley is home to some of the world's best wine producers, and the northern Rhône, where only 6 % of the total Rhône wine is produced, stands out. Dissecting the Northern Rhône further, the Côte Rôtie stands out as the area from which the best wines come. 

Domaine Rostaing lives in the Côte Rôtie. Here Guigal stands at the undisputed top, obviously because several 100-point scores have fallen their way. Domaine Rostaing places itself in a strong top-3 of best producers in Côte-Rôtie.

Domaine René Rostaing

For more than 40 years, René Rostaing has been a significant character in Côte Rôtie. In 1971, René Rostaing began tending a few of the family vineyards - guided gently and professionally by his uncle Marius Gentaz. Due to historically low prices for vineyards in the early 1970s, René Rostaing saw his way to acquire hectares in both Côte Blonde and La Landonne. 

When René Rostaing married, he gained another wine role model in his father-in-law Albert Dervieux. And when Dervieux retired in 1989 and Gentaz in 1992, he had not only received invaluable training from experts, but also the opportunity to take over 10 hectares of old vines in some of the appellation's best vineyards. 

René devoted himself to winemaking more than full time, resulting in excellent wines. In 2015, René handed over the baton to his son Pierre, which has only meant that professional winemaking as well as the deep respect for the traditions of Côte Rôtie continue, albeit the quality has been raised a level. 

Finesse Ala La Landonne And Côte Blonde

René Rostaing has praiseworthy single vineyard wines from amongst others the famous La Landonne. Here the vines are more than 60 years old, and some of them are even close to 100 years. Furthermore, the domain has a single vineyard from Côte Blonde, and it is these two that the present investment tip deals with. Both have an inherent finesse for which the domain is also famous. 

2019 La Landonne

"The 2019 Côte Rôtie La Landonne flirts with perfection" - Jeb Dunnuck

Rhone expert Jeb Dunnuck raves about the 2019 La Landonne, awarding it 98 points, but also points out that "This beauty will shine for 25-30 years if stored correctly." This has good aging prospects, which speaks in the wine investor's favor. 

Wine Advocate agrees with the 98 points, while Vinous has given a score of 94-96 points. This gives an overall rating of 97 points, which has not been surpassed in the last 10 years. 

Approximately 6,000 bottles of La Landonne are produced. The sparse quantities are always an interesting element in a wine investor's considerations. For it is probably not long before wine lovers around the world have reduced the already small quantities.

2019 Cote Blonde

"It will knock your socks off over the following two decades." - Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck awards 97 points to the 2019 Côte Blonde. Wine Advocate awards 95+ points, and Vinous gives 95-97 points, making the overall rating 96 points. This is neither the highest nor lowest overall score Côte Blonde has received in the past 10 years, with the lowest being 93.5 points in 2012 + 2013 and the highest being 98 points in 2010 0g 2015. 

In Côte Rôtie the wine yield is small, and of course it is also small at Domanie Rostaing. Around 4,200 bottles of Côte Blonde are annually produced.

Will Rhône Be The Next Big Thing?

There is no doubt that some of the most sought-after wines come from Burgundy, and the price trend testifies to the same, just as it has done over the past many years. 

Moreover, many of the best wines from Bordeaux are also extremely expensive. For many wine lovers, this makes wines from these classic regions hard to come by.

So, what happens? Then many of the world's wine lovers will seek out new quality pastures, and the Rhône represents such a pasture. 

It is hard to imagine a reality in which the Rhône would overtake Burgundy in prestige, but there is much to suggest that the Rhône could be the next big thing. Just as we see with the top Italian wines, there is a big market for top wines at a lower price level than is known from Burgundy - and if it must be French, Côte Rôtie is the most obvious choice in this perspective.

Domaine René Rostaing Offers Two Options

Even if the above scenario takes some time or, contrary to expectations, does not materialize at all, the starting point for the present investment opportunity is still advantageous and, as an investor, Rostaing here offers you two options. 

The price is good. Your investment price here is € 120 regardless of which of the wines you choose, and according to wine-searcher.com both wines in the 2019 vintage have seen a significant price increase since release. This trend just underlines that the long-term investment potential is already there.    

RareWine Invest's Opinion

At RareWine Invest we predicted that demand for Burgundy would increase. Our eyes are still on Burgundy, but if we are to take a step down the price ladder, it must be French, and if you believe in the potential of high value for money as we have seen in Italy, then the Rhône and Côte Rôtie are our bets for future winners. The best from the Rhône also belongs at the very top of the wine list - the price just has not kept up. Yet. 

Domaine René Rostaing belongs to the top-3 in Côte-Rôtie. The wines get great points, and the volumes are small. Add to this that both vintages have already shown great pace since release. So, the investment potential is already there, and if the world's wine lovers seriously turn their attention to the Rhône, these will be boosted.