Producers: North Flashcards
Jean Louis Chave - History
Founded in 1491. Passed down from father to son for 16 generations. The Chave wines have evolved a bit since Jean-Louis took charge: There is a bit more new oak (10-30% for the reds and up to 33% for the whites—though this has decreased recently), and the wines are cleaner than his father’s. The reds are de-stemmed completely, punched down, fermented in stainless steel and oak vats, then aged in 228-liter barriques for 26 months. The white is whole-cluster pressed and 90% barrel-fermented in up to one-third new oak, then aged for 18 months. All wines are blended in tank prior to bottling. The strength of the domaine lies in the diversity of their holdings across the hill of Hermitage and the family’s mastery of blending, passed down from generation to generation. These factors, combined with their sensitivity to the vintage’s conditions and the classic expression of Hermitage, allow the Chaves to consistently produce some of the finest wines of the appellation. ~ 5000 cases total production.
Chave - Wines they make
Hermitage Blanc (80-85% Marsanne, 15-20% Roussanne) Hermitage Rouge: Les Bessards forms the core of this blend of seven climats “Ermitage Cuvée Cathelin” (rouge): a barrel selection done just before bottling, produced only in top years (1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2009 and 2010 to date) and only if the quality of the regular cuvée is not compromised Hermitage Vin de Paille: rarely commercialized, but bottles do pop up from time to time
Auguste Clape
Cornas:
Cornas “Renaissance”:
Côtes du Rhône:
Le Vin des Amis (Vin de France):
Cornas. 1907. The Clape family has a 250-year history working as vignerons, though they were forced to start from scratch in Cornas after relocating from the Languedoc due to the grower strikes of 1906 and 1907. Auguste Clape, who took over in 1949, is widely credited as the first to practice domaine-bottling in Cornas in 1957, using fruit from vineyards planted by his wife’s grandfather. He was joined by his son Pierre-Marie in 1989, who now runs the domaine with his son Olivier. For many people, this is the gold standard domaine in Cornas.
Clape is an example of a traditional approach to winemaking in the Northern Rhône. Red grapes are not de-stemmed, and the wines are punched down by foot and pumped over twice daily. Aging for the Cornas bottlings is 22 months in old 6- and 12-hl foudres. The Côtes du Rhône and Vin des Amis see 12 months in a combination of foudre and cement. The reds are not filtered, but they are fined with egg whites. The white is vinified and aged in stainless steel.
Average Total Production: 2,500 cases
Cornas: assemblage from 12 parcels (average vine age 30-60 years)
Cornas “Renaissance”: assemblage from 12 parcels (average vine age 12-20 years)
Côtes du Rhône: 100% Syrah from vineyards outside the Cornas appellation
Le Vin des Amis (Vin de France): declassified Côtes du Rhône; young vines from Cornas plus occasional Cornas press wine
Thierry Allemand
Cornas “Reynard”:
Cornas “Chaillot”:
Cornas “Sans Souffre”:
Cornas. 1981. The son of a Valence factory worker, Thierry Allemand built his domaine from scratch after dropping out of school and discovering his love of the vine while working with Robert Michel. Thierry bought his first small plot in 1981 and continued to collect small plots here and there, tending his vines on the weekends while spending weekdays chez Michel (he only began working for himself fulltime in the mid-1990s). An inquiring mind, Thierry has continually evolved his winemaking. After starting out with a by-the-book approach, literally “making” his wines by adding yeast, tannin and enological enzymes as well as utilizing mechanical crushing and de-stemming, he abandoned all of these practices after seeking advice from older growers in the area, especially Noël and Louis Verset. He also eliminated racking and reduced the use of sulfur in his wines, believing that these two factors contributed to the perception of Cornas as a rustic, aggressive wine.
The approach at Allemand is traditional. Viticulture is organic and the yields have historically been low. The wines are not de-stemmed, and all pigeage is done twice daily by foot. The wines are aged in either old 228-liter barriques, 600-liter demi-muids, or larger 9-hl foudres; they are not racked and are bottled after 18-24 months in wood. Sulfur usage is very low, and the wines are not fined or filtered before bottling. The wines are powerful and aromatic, but more elegant than the village’s reputation for “hard, rustic wines” would lead one to believe.
Average Total Production: 1,500 cases
Cornas “Reynard”: a blend of parcels with average vine age over 40 years; usually includes old vines in Chaillots, Reynards, Le Tezier and La Geynale
Cornas “Chaillot”: a blend of parcels with average vine age under 40 years; includes parcels in Chaillots, Le Tezier and Le Bois
Cornas “Sans Souffre”: a bottling with no added sulfur; usually from old vines in Reynards; bears a different label than the other wines and is labeled only “Cornas”
Marius Gentaz-Dervieux
“The iconic Marius Gentaz is idolized among Syrah lovers in the same way Burgundy lovers worship Henri Jayer.”
You might have better luck finding a real unicorn than you will locating an authentic bottle of 1991 Gentaz-Dervieux. With high ratings and an extremely limited number of bottles left worldwide, this is one of the most sought-after Rhone Cote-Rotie bottles on the market (maybe 50 bottles). Its rarity alone is enough to make any serious collector take notice, but what makes this vintage truly stand out is that it’s a living time capsule. Northern Rhone of the past used to be balanced and almost reserved in flavor, and Cote-Rotie in particular was famous for minerality and light fruitiness. If you want a taste of the wine that originally put Cote-Rotie on the map, seek out this legendary Gentaz-Dervieux vintage.
last vintage 93 - passed to rostaing (son-in-law)
his favorites 89, 85, 88
E. Guigal
motto on the Chateau d’Ampuis: “Nul bien sans la peine” – no good without pain.
Etienne Guigal was the youngest in his family, but as the most resilient he was sent off on his own at a very young age when his family could no longer afford to care for him. He came to Ampuis to pick apricots, labor he found preferable to his previous work underground in mines. In the early 1930s his brother helped Etienne, still only 14 years of age, secure a job in the vineyards at Vidal Fleury, then the largest and strongest winery in the Rhone. tienne’s son Marcel joined him in 1961 (age 18) after Étienne was suddenly struck blind. Together, they built the house of Guigal into the most recognizable name in Côte-Rôtie, and they brought the world’s attention to the wines of the appellation. In 1984, the two bought out Étienne’s former employer, Vidal-Fleury, along with their impressive array of vineyards… and in subsequent years, they went on to expand by buying Domaine de Bonserine, JL Grippat, de Vallouit, and the Château d’Ampuis. They folded the vineyards of Grippat and de Vallouit into their own production while keeping Domaine de Bonserine and Vidal-Fleury operating as separate entities. In addition, they now have their own cooperage to better control the quality of the wood for their aging program. While their very modern wines have not always been the favorite style of the older generation in Côte-Rôtie, Guigal has generally received a tip of the chapeau for the attention they brought to Côte-Rôtie and the continuing success of the appellation.
They make every barrel that is used in their winery, with five barrels produced by hand every day by their single cooper at the Chateau d’Ampuis; they are the only winery in the Rhone Valley with their own cooperage.
Paul Jaboul et Aîné
Hermitage Rouge “La Chapelle”:
Hermitage Blanc “La Chapelle”:
Hermitage Blanc “Chevalier de Stérimberg”:
Crozes-Hermitage “Domaine Thalabert”:
Crozes-Hermitage Rouge “Domaine de Roure”
Crozes-Hermitage Blanc “Domaine de Roure”:
Founded in 1834 by Paul Jaboulet, Jaboulet Aîné (aîné means “older brother,” a reference to Paul) is one of the great, historic names in the Northern Rhône. The house stayed in the family through multiple generations until being sold in 2006 to the Swiss financier Jean-Jacques Frey (owner of Château La Lagune and a shareholder in Billecart-Salmon and Ayala). In the eyes of many critics, the quality of the Jaboulet wines had slipped, particularly since the early passing in 1997 of Gérard Jaboulet… yet Caroline Frey, now in charge of the winemaking, is keen to restore the house to its previous glory. The top Hermitage bottlings of the estate are named “La Chapelle” after the small chapel of Saint Christopher in the climat of l’Hermite; Jaboulet has owned the chapel itself since 1929 (though they own no vines in that climat).
Vineyard Holdings: 103 ha total
The main change instituted by the new Frey regime has been a stricter selection for the top wines, with only 2,000 cases bottled of the 2009 Hermitage Rouge “La Chapelle”—roughly one-quarter the volume of the average-quality 2000 vintage. The white wines are whole-cluster pressed and vinified entirely in oak (about one-third new for the top wines), though “La Chapelle” Blanc is vinified and aged in larger casks rather than barriques. The lees are stirred regularly for the whites. The reds are completely de-stemmed, vinified in stainless steel with regular remontages and aged in barriques (20% new for the top wines) for 12-15 months.
Hermitage Rouge “La Chapelle”: a barrel selection based around on Le Méal, with Les Bessards, Les Greffieux and La Croix usually key components
Hermitage Blanc “La Chapelle”: 80% Marsanne, 20% Roussanne from Rocoules
Hermitage Blanc “Chevalier de Stérimberg”: 65% Marsanne, 35% Roussanne
Crozes-Hermitage “Domaine Thalabert”: 100% Syrah from Thalabert
Crozes-Hermitage Rouge “Domaine de Roure”: 100% Syrah from the old Raymond Roure vines at Sassenas and Voussères
Crozes-Hermitage Blanc “Domaine de Roure”: 100% Marsanne from the old Raymond Roure vines at Les Blancs
Guigal
winemaking
Côte-Rôtie “Château d’Ampuis”:
Côte-Rôtie “La Mouline”:
Côte-Rôtie “La Landonne”:
Côte-Rôtie “La Turque”:
“Brune & Blonde de Guigal”
Ermitage Blanc “Ex-Voto”:
Ermitage Rouge “Ex-Voto”:
Guigal is credited as a pioneer in bringing modern winemaking techniques to the Northern Rhône. The house favors lush, ripe fruit supported by long aging in new barriques. This culminates in the “La La” bottlings (La Mouline, La Landonne and La Turque) and “Ex Voto” red, all of which are aged for 42 months in 100% new oak. For the white wines, the Viogniers are macerated on the skins overnight before pressing, while the Marsanne and Roussanne grapes are immediately whole-cluster pressed. The top whites, Condrieu “La Doriane” and Ermitage “Ex Voto,” are vinified and aged in 100% new oak; the rest have a portion vinified in stainless steel prior to oak aging. The reds are sometimes de-stemmed, sometimes not, depending on vintage conditions.
Côte-Rôtie “Château d’Ampuis”: 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier; from three lieux-dits in Côte Blonde (source of all of the Viognier) and four lieux-dits in Côte Brune; average vine age is 40-50 years
Côte-Rôtie “La Mouline”: 89% Syrah, 11% Viognier; sourced from a plot of the same name on the Côte Blonde, average vine age is 60 years
Côte-Rôtie “La Landonne”: 100% Syrah; average vine age is 20 years
Côte-Rôtie “La Turque”: 93% Syrah, 7% Viognier; sourced from an extremely steep plot on Côte Brune, planted in 1980
“Brune & Blonde de Guigal” Plots on steep slopes Côte Blonde : Silicone limestone soil Côte Brune : soil rich in iron oxyde, 96% Syrah, 4% Viognier, 35 years
Ermitage Blanc “Ex-Voto”: 93% Marsanne, 7% Roussanne; 90% from Murets, 10% from l’Hermite
Ermitage Rouge “Ex-Voto”: 30% each Bessards and Greffieux; 20% each l’Hermite and Murets
La Landonne
La Landonne is one of the steepest vineyards of the Côte Brune, a 45 degree slope that remarkably requires harvesters to start picking from the bottom of the vineyard and work their way up, placing grape bunches in bins that are set on sleds and dragged up the hill. Along with its position at the northern end of the Côte Brune and the fact it is the last vineyard to ripen, La Landonne is the mirror of the feminine and voluptuous La Mouline: it is a wine of driving power, defined by its dark fruit and structure. The first vintage Guigal produced was in 1978, after being planted in 1975 at the time of Philippe Guigal’s birth.
A 5.7 acre site planted entirely with Syrah, Guigal acquired the vineyard from numerous small owners, building their holding parcel by parcel over a decade. The limestone clay topsoils are very rich in iron oxide, lending additional polyphenols.
La Landonne is the one Guigal Cote-Rotie that is never destemmed to any degree. The wine is continuously pumped over, and alcoholic fermentation and maceration last around 4 weeks. Aging is for 40 months in new oak barrels made at the Chateau d’Ampuis cooperage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF1SLTppPyM
La Mouline
La Mouline is historically the oldest
vineyard in Cote-Rotie, with walls dating
back 2,400 years, and today its vines are
also the oldest in the region, averaging 90
years of age, with the oldest dating back
to plantings in the 1890s, from the first
plantings after phylloxera. Acquired in 1966,
this was Guigal’s first single-vineyard CôteRôtie.
It is also the “LaLa” positioned on
the lighter soils of the Cote Blonde and
with the highest percentage of Viognier,
characteristics that give La Mouline its
telltale aromatic complexity and additional
softness and roundness; it is often called the
most feminine of Guigal’s Côte-Rôties.
VINEYARD
The steeply terraced amphitheater of La
Mouline is not only visually impressive,
but lends a variety of expositions and,
importantly, both shelters the 2.5 acre site
from the wind and acts as a heat trap. The
gneiss bedrock has soils of lightly colored
silicone containing limestone loess. The site
is planted to 89% Syrah and 11% Viognier,
with the two varieties picked together and
co-fermented.
VINIFICATION
The wine sees traditional pumpovers, and
alcoholic fermentation and maceration last
around 4 weeks. Aging is for 40 months
in new oak barrels made at the Chateau
d’Ampuis cooperage
La Turque
La Turque is Guigal’s latest addition to the
single-vineyard Côte-Rôties. This vineyard
produced outstanding wines in the first
half of the 20th century, but then was not
used for wine production for nearly 50
years. The Guigals acquired the vineyard
and re-planted it in 1980 and 1981 based
on Etienne Guigal’s memory of the
quality of the wines it once produced,
and the first vintage appeared in 1985. In
both position and style, it sits between La
Mouline and La Turque: the complex soils
lend an exotic character to La Turque, and
its concentration and elegance exhibit the
virility of the Côte Brune with the subtlety
and femininity of the Côte Blonde.
VINEYARD
La Turque is around 2.5 acres in size,
situated just north of the Côte Blonde
and into the Côte Brune on a steep slope
that enjoys perfect southern exposure;
La Turque is in fact the only vineyard
in Côte-Rôtie that directly sees the first
rays of sunshine in the morning all the
way through the last rays of dusk. This
vineyard is planted to 93% Syrah and
7% Viognier, with a soil type of silicone
limestone with schist that produces clay
soils rich in iron oxide.
VINIFICATION
The wine is punched down and alcoholic
fermentation and maceration last around
4 weeks. Aging is for 40 months in new
oak barrels made at the Chateau d’Ampuis
cooperage.
Vignes de l’Hospice
Grown on the vineyard directly across from
Hermitage and planted on the same rock
formation, dramatically perched above the
town of Tournon, the Vignes de l’Hospice
makes perhaps the most persuasive
argument as to why Saint-Joseph at one time
was considered superior even to Hermitage.
It shares with the best Hermitage a powerful
intensity, yet the elegance of Saint-Joseph is
beautifully apparent in how the wine draws
out and finishes.
VINEYARD
This steeply terraced vineyard was in the
recent past divided into three, which Guigal
now owns through the purchase of the De
Vallouit and Grippat domaines, and the sale
by the local hospice of their vineyard to
Guigal. It was Guigal’s work in preserving
the walls of the vineyard, a never-ending
and costly labor of love, that in fact led
the hospice to ask Guigal to take over
their vineyard and carry on the history and
tradition.
VINIFICATION
Guigal vinifies this 100% Syrah wine in the
same fashion as their Côte Rôties crus and
Ermitage Ex-Voto. After fermentation,
it is aged for 30 months in 100% new
barrels, clarified by racking only, and bottled
unfiltered. Guigal is often asked when they
will produce a fourth “LaLa”, and their
response is that their fourth single vineyard
phenomenon of the Northern Rhone is
already being produced: the Vignes de
l’Hospice.
