Cote Rotie "Les Schistes" (2017) Domaine Clusel Roch

This small artisanal Domaine, run by Brigitte Roch, Gilbert Clusel and their son Guillaume, only employs organic methods to work its vineyards and for some time have consistently had some of the lowest yields in the region. Such low yields and excellent vineyard sites help to produce excellent wines that are made in a gentle, pure and refined style. There is little new oak; depending on the vintage a large proportion of whole bunches may be included in fermentations and extractions are soft resulting in elegant, refined and characterful Côte Rôtie that age seamlessly. The standard cuvée is aged in one- and two-year-old barriques for a year, whilst wine from the old vines of Les Grandes Places require ageing in a proportion of new oak barriques, rarely more than 30-40%.

A blend largely from the schist, south-east facing vineyards of the Verenay commune including the lower part of Viaillere, Champon and Le Plan. As ever a proportion of whole bunches have been used in fermentation, a little larger than normal given the ripeness of the crop - 50%. Ageing is in oak barriques for at least 15 months with less than 15% new wood.

^* required fields