RoseRock Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Zéphirine 2017

96 points James Suckling: "This has a very impressive sense of density and power with such immaculate detail and definition, in terms of tannin and fruit. The aromas are in the spicy and floral zone with blue-fruit and leafy nuances. Deceptively elegant and convincingly excellent pinot noir. Drink across the next decade. (12/10/19)"

95 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Zépherine bottling of pinot noir from the Drouhin family’s Roserock is a true reserve wine in the old sense, as it is a barrel selection made of the best vats in any given vintage. The wine comes in at 14.1 percent alcohol in this vintage, but is cool and black fruity on the nose, offering up scents of sweet dark berries, black cherries, bitter chocolate, a lovely base of soil, bonfire, peonies, violets, a whisper of fresh thyme and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is complex, full-bodied and nicely black fruity in personality, with tons of soil undertow, tangy acids, fine-grained, seamless tannins and outstanding focus and grip on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. Simply stunning juice. 231-2075. (Sep/Oct 2021)"

94 points Erin Brooks (Wine Advocate): "The 2017 Zéphirine Pinot Noir is a selection of the best barrels from the Roserock vineyard. Pale to medium ruby-purple, it's scented of crushed boysenberries, blackberries, cranberries, bergamot and forest floor with touches of dried rose petals and violets. Medium-bodied and über silky, it offers great intensity and flavor layers, grainy and fresh with a long, layered finish. Drink: 2020-2030. (Apr 2020)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "[$65 list] A dynamic wine, showing both grace and structure, this opens like a flower bloom, revealing notes of raspberry, crushed stone, fresh violet and savory tea. Builds richness and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2027. (2/28/21)"

93 points Wine Enthusiast: "This barrel selection, a so-called 'reference expression of the site', is named for a species of climbing rose. As a reference point for the site and the AVA it works quite well, with firm black-cherry fruit at the core, and highlights of coffee and earth in the polished tannins. Alcohol 14.1%. (Oct 2020)"

93 points Charles Curtis, MW (Decanter): "This is named after a variety of rose created in 1868 called Zéphirine Drouhin, sometimes known as La Belle Dijonnaise. One can imagine the analogy, as this wine has a distinctively Burgundian character. It is a barrel selection of the best results from the Roserock vineyard, which advances the elegance of the regular bottling with a darker, plummy cast to the fruit and more richness, density and volume on the palate. Drinking Window: 2021-2030. (Dec 2020)"