Traditional Wines from the Northern Rhone: 2010, 2011 and Before...
9/25/14 -
(Photo courtesy of Vignobles Levet)
2010 is a truly exceptional vintage in the Northern Rhone. We are happy to offer three wines from estates whose traditional vineyard work and vinifications have produced superb, age-worthy wines of terroir, as well as a selection of older wines from these estates, and the recently released 2011 Côte-Rôtie from the talented Eric Texier. By "traditional" we refer to mechanical or manual working of the soil and the avoidance of herbicides and pesticides; old vines with a high percentage of "petite serine" or massale selection vines; hand harvesting; whole-cluster fermentations with wild yeasts, generally in cement vats; moderate alcohol levels; minimal attempts to extract color and tannin, and aging in used barrels with a small (or zero) percent new. Of course de-stemming in the Northern Rhone is not always a bad thing, especially with clonal-selection vines, and can help produce softer, rounder wines for more rapid consumption. But for consumers seeking Syrah to age, that will mature into gloriously complex wines such as those in the past of Gentaz or Trollat, we suggest considering an assortment of the old-fashioned Côte-Rôtie and Cornas offered below.
Vignobles Levet, Côte-Rôtie "Some wines reflect inspiration, others love and care. The Levet wines fall into the second category" - Wines of the Norhern Rhone. Bernard and Nicloe Levet, with daughter Agnes, work approximately four hectares, primarily in Chavaroche, formerly owned by Nicole's father Marius Chambeyron. The vines are predominanty "petite serine" planted in the 1950s, with some clones planted in the 80s, and from the 1990s forward all new plantings are massale selection of petite serine. The soil is turned over mechanically and a small amount of natural compost is used. Fermentations are whole-cluster with wild yeasts for the "Chavaroche," with aging approximately 90% in old barrels. The Levet wines are agreeably earthy and "sauvage" when young and take time to come together, but when mature they can be among the very finest traditional wines of Côte-Rôtie. 2009 and 2010 are both exceptional vintages here. (The 2010s are now sold-out with the importer, as are the 2005 magnums and the 2007s so no further stock will be available.)
Domaine Lionnet, Cornas Organic since 2007, the Lionnets work the soil with a small caterpillar tractor or horse and use only organic treatments on their 2.2 hectares on Mazards, Combes, Chaillots and Brugeres. (The parcel on Mazards was planted in 1910!) The grapes are not de-stemmed and fermentations are with wild yeasts, lasting about three weeks. A 19th century vertical wood press is used, slow and at mild pressure to avoid hard tannins in the wine. Aging is in two to eight year-old casks of 228 and 600 liters. "Our vinifications are completely traditional and natural to value all the terroir and typicity of Cornas" says their modest website, and indeed the 2010 here is a beautiful wine and a fantastic value.
Domaine Guillaume Gilles, Cornas While working for Robert Michel, Guillaume Gilles began with one-half hectare inherited from his grandfather in 2002 and then took over the 1.5 hectares of Robert Michel on Chaillot in 2007. As at Lionnet, the soils are worked by tractor and by hand without herbicides. Fermentations are whole-cluster with wild yeasts and last three weeks or more, at relatively low temperature due to the cold cellar. Guillaume is fortunate to have superb terroir in the heart of Chaillot, with soils both of decomposed granite and of clay/limestone, givng a unique purity and saline minerality to his wines. His 2010 is superb, less sauvage than Lionnet, but very focused and pure, and sure to be an exceptional mature wine. This young man seems happily destined for a long career making fine traditional Cornas.
Robert Michel, Cornas Robert Michel, whose last vintage was 2006, was one of the most solidly traditional producers in Cornas for over thirty years, with great vineyard holdings on Chaillot and old vines in the La Geynale parcel on Reynards. This parcel, planted in 1910, is one of the finest in Cornas with granite and gneiss subsoils with clay, giving wines of great elegance and complexity. Michel's winemaking remained traditional throughout, with wild yeast, whole-cluster fermentations and aging in used 600L and 228L casks, with only an occasional new barrel. (The Cuvée Coteaux, from Chaillot, was partially de-stemmed due to the high tannins often present in the wine). The two wines offered here are the only wines of Robert Michel still available from the importer and will soon be gone.
Eric Texier Our friend Eric Texier, whose home and cellar are in Charnay (OK, Rhones-Alpes), makes some of the most gloriously traditional wines in the Northern and Southern Rhone. Eric sources the grapes for his Cote-Rotie from several parcels of old vines in the Cote Brune. The soil is a combination of iron mica schist (a metamorphosed shale), decomposed gneiss (a metamorphic banded granite) and arzelle. Whole-cluster wild-yeast fermentaions, aging in old barrels, minimal sulfur.
All wines are in stock at CSW and discount 10% on a case or mixed-case purchase.
