2020 Clusel-Roch Côtes-du-Rhône "Les Vergers", Rhône Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

100% Syrah (Serine selection massale); on average 40 year old vines. In “Le Plomb” just behind Grandes Places but technically outside the Cote-Rotie appellation. The grapes are partially de-stemmed (70%) and crushed before being put into into tanks. Fermentation is carried out by indigenous yeasts. A moderate temperature is maintained to allow for gentle extraction. The cap is punched down and juice is pumped over twice a day. After tasting the juice post-fermentation, they wait 4 weeks before removing wine from the tank. The wine is aged for 9-10 months in 4-7 year old 228L and 600L barrels.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Back in the nineteen fifties René and Joséphine Clusel l began cultivating vegetables, fruit trees and Côte-Rôtie vines, like many other farmers in the Ampuis region, and they sold the wine in bottles. This was a time when Côte-Rôtie wines did not yet enjoy their current reputation, but René Clusel's Côte-Rôtie was very popular with connoisseurs.

The estate is currently run by Guillaume Clusel, Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch.
It has 20 hectares of vines, on three historic vineyards of the Lyonnais, Ampuis (AOC Côte-Rôtie, AOC Côtes-du-Rhône and Vin de France), Condrieu (AOC Condrieu), Millery (AOC Coteau du Lyonnais).