The 2019 Keller Estate Rotie Syrah opens with notes of tobacco leaf and cigar box along with a hint of marzipan and clove. After a few minutes, it opens up to a sweet, red fruit nose with notes of red currant and cranberry. In the mouth, the wine has a distinctive Luxardo Cherry quality, concentrated and marinated. The cranberry notes carry over into the mouth. Hints of cinnamon come to the forefront. This wine is vibrant and food-friendly. There are lingering notes of boysenberry, which likely comes from the marriage of Viognier and Syrah.
Vintage
The 2019 vintage was vastly characterized by a series of environmental challenges, putting vineyard crews and winemakers to the test. The season started with record-breaking rainfall and flooding leading to a relatively cool spring, slightly delaying bud break with harvest time trending well into September. Hefty rain in May luckily did not disrupt yields since flowering had not yet begun in most vineyards. Average, stable temperatures throughout the summer lead to steady grape development. As harvest approached heat spikes and fire hazards provided another set of challenges, but complex and dynamic wines emerged from a dynamic year.
The Vineyard
Keller Estate was once part of the ancient seabed below San Pablo Bay. These mineral-rich, clay soils define our site and result in a rich minerality, a signature of our wines. The site’s proximity on the Western edge of Sonoma Mountain, above the Petaluma River, is the southern stretch of the Petaluma Gap. Winds from the Pacific Ocean are pulled through the ‘Gap’ by the warming Central Valley interior which imparts distinctive fruit and floral aromatics that define this AVA.
We implement regenerative farming which focuses on top-soil renewal and increased cover crop and beneficial insect biodiversity, enhancing our own regional ecosystem as well as contributing to the health and vitality of the earth.
Winemaking
The Syrah grape is one of the last varieties to push its buds out in the spring, making it one of the last to be harvested in the fall. We destem and put whole berries into the tank and allow fermentation to take place with native yeasts. The Keller Estate Rôtie is co-fermented with about 5-10%Viognier from our estate, hence its name Rôtie after the Rhone Côte de Rôtie region in France which co-ferments Viognier with Syrah. This lends a distinctive floral note to the wine.
Specs
Vintage: 2019
Varietals: Syrah (5-10% Viognier)
Appellation: Petaluma Gap, Sonoma County
Vineyard: La Cruz Vineyard
Cooperage: 30% New French Oak: Tonnellerie Ô, Vicard, Meyrieux
Alcohol: 14.9%
Production: 387 cases
What’s Included
3-bottles:
3x 2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine, Petaluma Gap Case:
12x 2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine, Petaluma Gap
Our mission is to share the passing of time through our family’s vineyard.
Arturo Keller and his wife Deborah first fell in love with the site while driving a vintage car through the meandering Sonoma roads, and selected the property for its potential as a site for a world-class vineyard. Clearly, the property’s beauty, setting, and history influenced our decision to make it our home.
In 1989, we planted the first Chardonnay vines, and La Cruz vineyard was born. Our first vintage was sold to Rombauer Vineyards, who rapidly became excited with the potential of the site, giving us confidence in our fruit. By 1999, we planted a few acres of Pinot Noir and recognized the potential to make our own exceptional wines. In 2000, the Keller Estate label became a reality. Shortly after, in collaboration with the prestigious Mexican firm of Legorreta+Legorreta, we designed and built our stunning and functional winery, designed specifically for gravity-flow winemaking.
Ana Keller, Arturo’s daughter, and a biochemist by training, joined the team eager to create the most exquisite wines from the Estate’s vineyards. With Arturo’s constant vision and encouragement, Ana’s passion has established Keller Estate as a benchmark for producing some of the best wines on the Sonoma Coast. Her passion and dedication have been instrumental in establishing Petaluma Gap AVA and promoting the wines of this region worldwide.
We invite you to visit us and share our passion.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
jebdunnuck.com says:
92 points. A nod to the Northern Rhône, the 2019 Rotie Red Wine is Syrah co-fermented with a touch of Viognier. It offers beautiful aromas of black pepper, crushed violets, olive tapenade, and pure blackberry fruit. The palate is firmly structured with black tea, black plum skin, and dried apricot. Audrey Frick. 8/2/22 Drink 2024-2028.
Previous offers of this here were not quite as pricey but that’s going back a few years…
Got a golden ticket and was able to try the 2019 Keller Estate Rotie, these are my notes over two days.
I opened it up the bottle and was met with a strange cork. It was a plant based foam that was painted/colored to look like real cork. It was very dense and I had a difficult time inserting the ah-so, so tight that i couldn’t get the tines all the way down, was still able to twist and pull it out but it was a lot more difficult then any other cork I’ve tried with an ah-so.
On pnp I got primarily a whiff of alcohol. After a few minutes in the glass I think I got a nose of a woody anise/ or perhaps fennel. The color was clear darkish purple. First taste was almost effervescent, but not in a bubble sort of way, almost like it was sparking the taste buds? I picked up again a light woody herbaceous flavor, maybe licorice? It went well with the t-bone steak that I broiled. Only ok with the seafood risotto. This wasn’t a meaty or barny syrah blend. At least to me. My wife wasn’t the biggest fan on the first night as it didn’t show much in the way of fruit. The tannins were well integrated at this point and the acid was good, able to cut through the fat of the steak well. I recorked and left it on the counter for day two.
The next day I reopened it and the alcohol was gone from the nose. I also started to get some red fruits and maybe brambly fruit notes. The flavor did develop more tart red fruit notes, like a tart raspberry or cranberry. TBH I thought it was much better on day two as did my wife. The beginning was large and flavorful, the mid palate was cleansing with a good acidic backbone, and the finish was long with a lingering pleasant aftertaste.
I’m not sure if this is my style but I’m pretty sure you could lay this down for another 5 years and it’d be in that sweet spot. Thanks again for letting me try something out of my wheelhouse.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine - $60 = 18.74%
What a coincidence… I just brought a bottle of the 2012 Keller Rôtie to a friend’s house for dinner two nights ago. Easily the highlight of the bottles that were opened. Complex, well-structured, and still lots of life left in a 12-year old bottle.
Pretty sure the 2012 was cheaper back when I bought it years ago on Casemates but if the 2019 is anywhere near as good as the 2012, it’s WELL worth the price(s) listed. Probably going to split a case with a friend to replenish my dwindling supply…
@vandemusser There was a vertical of the '11,'12, and '13 on 4/2/18 (3 for $80, case for $240). Also a '13 '14 '15 vertical on 6/12/19 for $70/$200) and the '16 on 9/25/20.
I was traveling this week and made my poor wife open up the labrat package from Casemates right away, and was very excited to find out it was a NorCal Syrah. We haven’t been drinking a lot of these lately, but are big fans in general. Personal favorite from the wine.woot days would probably be Macrostie, just to give context of our preference. Really like bright and medium bodied Sonoma syrahs, etc.
Pop and pour
Poured two glasses and let them chill out for a bit before drinking. Color was darker than I expected, and it had medium legs. Initial nose was towards plum, maybe cherry? There’s a floral back to it that makes it feel brighter.
After letting it open up a bit we had it with grilled chicken tacos. The wine is fruit forward, but not jammy whatsoever. There is a strong back of acidity/tannins to keep it well balanced. Plum still remains, and the floral element is somewhat reduced. Getting bright cherry as well. It finishes darker than I expected - doesn’t have that loamy funk by any means, but does have a bit of tobacco or very dark chocolate on the finish. Nothing overpowering, just enough to give it complexity.
Finished the rest of the bottle a bit later, and I think it stayed pretty consistent over the hour or so.
Overall, it’s a very well balanced wine - I think it would be a bit better with at least a touch of age on it, but it’s drinking well now. I think that people who prefer old world style wines will enjoy this offering. There’s a solid complexity to the wine that I think makes it feel a bit “special” vs a daily drinker, and I haven’t looked at the price points on the casemates site yet, but I’m expecting this to be a bit more of a premium offering. I would say we’re generally fans of Carneros syrah, and if you like that style you’ll be a fan of this.
2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine, Petaluma Gap
92 points Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
Vintage
The Vineyard
Winemaking
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$780/Case for 12x 2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine, Petaluma Gap at Keller Estate
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 7 - Thursday, Oct 10
2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine
3 bottles for $79.99 $26.66/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $259.99 $21.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
jebdunnuck.com says:
92 points. A nod to the Northern Rhône, the 2019 Rotie Red Wine is Syrah co-fermented with a touch of Viognier. It offers beautiful aromas of black pepper, crushed violets, olive tapenade, and pure blackberry fruit. The palate is firmly structured with black tea, black plum skin, and dried apricot. Audrey Frick. 8/2/22 Drink 2024-2028.
Previous offers of this here were not quite as pricey but that’s going back a few years…
fwiw
@kaolis
But those were for earlier vintages, iirc.
I see '13 ~ '16 with the latter at ~$23/btl
I do like the idea of saving $5/btl were a case split to happen.
@rjquillin correct, previous vintages, a few lashes of the whip for not making that clear
Hey gang,
Got a golden ticket and was able to try the 2019 Keller Estate Rotie, these are my notes over two days.
I opened it up the bottle and was met with a strange cork. It was a plant based foam that was painted/colored to look like real cork. It was very dense and I had a difficult time inserting the ah-so, so tight that i couldn’t get the tines all the way down, was still able to twist and pull it out but it was a lot more difficult then any other cork I’ve tried with an ah-so.
On pnp I got primarily a whiff of alcohol. After a few minutes in the glass I think I got a nose of a woody anise/ or perhaps fennel. The color was clear darkish purple. First taste was almost effervescent, but not in a bubble sort of way, almost like it was sparking the taste buds? I picked up again a light woody herbaceous flavor, maybe licorice? It went well with the t-bone steak that I broiled. Only ok with the seafood risotto. This wasn’t a meaty or barny syrah blend. At least to me. My wife wasn’t the biggest fan on the first night as it didn’t show much in the way of fruit. The tannins were well integrated at this point and the acid was good, able to cut through the fat of the steak well. I recorked and left it on the counter for day two.
The next day I reopened it and the alcohol was gone from the nose. I also started to get some red fruits and maybe brambly fruit notes. The flavor did develop more tart red fruit notes, like a tart raspberry or cranberry. TBH I thought it was much better on day two as did my wife. The beginning was large and flavorful, the mid palate was cleansing with a good acidic backbone, and the finish was long with a lingering pleasant aftertaste.
I’m not sure if this is my style but I’m pretty sure you could lay this down for another 5 years and it’d be in that sweet spot. Thanks again for letting me try something out of my wheelhouse.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Keller Estate Rôtie Red Wine - $60 = 18.74%
What a coincidence… I just brought a bottle of the 2012 Keller Rôtie to a friend’s house for dinner two nights ago. Easily the highlight of the bottles that were opened. Complex, well-structured, and still lots of life left in a 12-year old bottle.
Pretty sure the 2012 was cheaper back when I bought it years ago on Casemates but if the 2019 is anywhere near as good as the 2012, it’s WELL worth the price(s) listed. Probably going to split a case with a friend to replenish my dwindling supply…
@vandemusser There was a vertical of the '11,'12, and '13 on 4/2/18 (3 for $80, case for $240). Also a '13 '14 '15 vertical on 6/12/19 for $70/$200) and the '16 on 9/25/20.
I was traveling this week and made my poor wife open up the labrat package from Casemates right away, and was very excited to find out it was a NorCal Syrah. We haven’t been drinking a lot of these lately, but are big fans in general. Personal favorite from the wine.woot days would probably be Macrostie, just to give context of our preference. Really like bright and medium bodied Sonoma syrahs, etc.
Pop and pour
Poured two glasses and let them chill out for a bit before drinking. Color was darker than I expected, and it had medium legs. Initial nose was towards plum, maybe cherry? There’s a floral back to it that makes it feel brighter.
After letting it open up a bit we had it with grilled chicken tacos. The wine is fruit forward, but not jammy whatsoever. There is a strong back of acidity/tannins to keep it well balanced. Plum still remains, and the floral element is somewhat reduced. Getting bright cherry as well. It finishes darker than I expected - doesn’t have that loamy funk by any means, but does have a bit of tobacco or very dark chocolate on the finish. Nothing overpowering, just enough to give it complexity.
Finished the rest of the bottle a bit later, and I think it stayed pretty consistent over the hour or so.
Overall, it’s a very well balanced wine - I think it would be a bit better with at least a touch of age on it, but it’s drinking well now. I think that people who prefer old world style wines will enjoy this offering. There’s a solid complexity to the wine that I think makes it feel a bit “special” vs a daily drinker, and I haven’t looked at the price points on the casemates site yet, but I’m expecting this to be a bit more of a premium offering. I would say we’re generally fans of Carneros syrah, and if you like that style you’ll be a fan of this.
This has been a great wine in the past. I assume it continues to be!
@klezman agreed!
@CorTot @klezman
Should a case head that way?
@CorTot @rjquillin I need to finish my twisted oak ordering then I should not buy anything else this year. I’ve still got 3 of the 2016.
@CorTot @klezman
Ditto on the TO
Looks like an interesting Syrah and a nice price for case price. Does anyone want to spit a case in Tampa area?