Pressoir Dinner - Côte Rôtie - Recap

Did you know? Côte Rôtie is an appellation that went through some really difficult times and in fact almost disappeared back in the 1940’s after the WWII. Combine the lack of labor, unprofitability and extremely hard working conditions and you end up with a mere few dozens of hectares still in production back then. But luckily, the Phoenix rose from the ashes and today, it is around 230 hectares of vines planted under the appellation Côte Rôtie. If 230 hectares doesn’t speak to you, well, Prospect Park in Brooklyn is 213 hectares, you’re welcome.

This is a recap of a fabulous dinner Nikita and I hosted at Hearth on April 15th. Here are our notes!

Domaine Clusel Roch, Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places 2005 :

EDOUARD: Still very young, the wine was marked with the firmness of the vintage and it took half an hour to start detangling the tight structure. Nevertheless a serious wine. Les Grandes Places was the first vineyard purchased by the Clusels in 1935, a great name in Côte Rôtie with their winery located at the northern end of the appellation.

SURPRISE BOTTLE FROM OUR FRIEND BRIAN ORCUTT: Rostaing, Côte-Rôtie Côte Blonde 2010:

EDOUARD: A powerful style with notes of oak still perceptible, really interesting to compare with the 2005 magnum

Domaine Jean Michel Stephan, Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Bassenon 2018

EDOUARD: Very unique Côte-Rôtie born of a blend of 40% Syrah, 40% Serine and 20% Viognier! Note: Serine is difficult to define but can be considered as the old cousin of Syrah, some will say the real Syrah of the Rhône, whose birthplace is in fact in the steep hills of Côte Rôtie. 20% Viognier is the maximum amount allowed in the blend but is rarely seen. Cool! The wines certainly showed floral notes and aromatic exuberance.

NIKITA: Côteaux de Bassenon is the most southerly vineyards in Côte-Rôtie and the majority of Jean-Michel’s vines in this parcel were planted in 1896. I don’t have much experience with a Côte Rôtie with 20% Viognier, so I was excited to open this up. The nose on this wine was unique,

Maison Stephan, Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Tupin 2018

EDOUARD: From the same self proclaimed natural producer, Cotaux de Tupin is a different beast. This vineyard is all Serine, planted on gneiss and showed a more blackfruit, earthy personality.

Francois Villard, Côte-Rôtie Le Gallet Blanc 2018

EDOUARD: Change of scenery with Francois Villard, who owns 40 hectares and buys from another 24! Adept of whole cluster fermentation, Villard became certified organic in 2019 and his vineyards are mostly planted on schist rather than granite. I thought it was a very pretty wine, curiously not so much reminiscent of the black olives and bacon fat often found in that part of the appellation. I think the whole cluster fermentation provided a certain freshness and airiness. Quite floral too.

Domaine Jean Michel Gerin, Côte-Rôtie Vialliere 2017

EDOUARD: The vintage was tough with hail storms that dramatically reduced yields but what remained was wonderful and concentrated. Alexis Gerin today runs the show as the 3rd generation and he is a buddy of Guillaume Clusel from Clusel Roch mentioned above. Gerin prefers to use a destemmer and that parcel is from rather young vines (18 years old). Good wine but a touch reduced and the oak was still not very integrated.

Domaine Jean Michel Gerin, Côte-Rôtie Le Champin Seigneur 2017

EDOUARD: Similar notes regarding oak and reduction here.

Francois Villard, Côte-Rôtie Le Gallet Blanc 2017

EDOUARD: Back to Villard with again this elegant style and floral notes of violet.

Domaine Clusel Roch, Côte-Rôtie 2010

EDOUARD: A flight dedicated to Clusel Roch was a must! 2010 was exceptional in the region and this cuvee, now called cuvee Schist, is a blend of parcels all around the property in the northern portion of Côte-Rôtie. I always like this wine. Clusel partially destems and does a really good job with that process, finding perfect balance.

Domaine Clusel Roch, Côte-Rôtie Vialliere 2010

EDOUARD: Vialliere is located directly under Les Grandes Places and sits at 200-230m of altitude. The vineyard is rich in mica-schist and gives a more powerful wine. We are back to the more concentrated style of Grandes Places although a bit more “easy” and approachable. Here, the black olive notes were present.

SURPRISE BOTTLE FROM OUR FRIEND BRIAN ORCUTT: and what a surprise because it was Domaine Jamet, Côte Rôtie Côte Brune 1999!

EDOUARD: I have had some of my most intense wine emotions with Domaine Jamet. The wines are always intriguing and as they age, become simply dazzling. The first nose suggested those floral notes mentioned earlier but going back to the glass, I found a hint of smoke, later, another aromatic layer blossomed to unveil curious spices, cigar box and damp earth. Simply incredible and I know for a fact, still young because I was lucky to taste a bottle of 1990 that provided even more depth! It should be noted that 1999 was outstanding in the northern Rhône, with a few critics comparing it to 1947…

The wine of the night (so far!)

E. Guigal, Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 1989

EDOUARD: How to finish with a bang? Open a flight of old Lala’s…

Guigal is a highly respected northern Rhone producer (now also in the South) that did so much to revive these once abandoned vineyards. Another influential personality who played a crucial role in the reputation of these wines was wine critic Robert Parker who fell in love with the iconic Cote Rôtie of Guigal in the 1980’s he playfully rebaptized the Lala’s (La Landonne, La Turque and La Mouline)

Today, Guigal is responsible for a third of the Côte Rôtie production.

1989 was a year of drought that gave rich and opulent wines, especially here with La Landonne, a particularly steep vineyard (45% incline) nestled in the northern portion of the Côte Brune and high in iron oxide. Rarely destemmed, La Landonne is typically a powerhouse, but its decades of age helped taming the beast. Excellent, brooding wine.

NIKITA: Angular, that was the word that kept coming to me when I tried this La Landonne. Felt like this could just keep aging.

E. Guigal, Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 1988

EDOUARD: Interestingly, 1988 lived in the shadow of 1989, deemed exceptional. But this 1988 La Mouline was in fact my favorite wine of the night. I found it Burgundian and extremely refined. It is almost irrelevant to compare it to La Landonne 1989 because the vintages were very different with 1988 a cooler vintage. The two vineayrds are also very different. If La Landonne is located in the Côte Brune, La Mouline is part of the Côte Blonde to the south where granite reigns supreme. It is also the oldest vineyard of Côte-Rôtie. It is mostly destemmed by Guigal and around 10% of Viognier is co-planted with Syrah.

NIKITA: This was an enticing wine from start to finish.

Patrick Jasmin, Côte-Rôtie 1988

EDOUARD: A beautiful comparison of the vintage with an excellent bottle from Jasmin. A pioneer when it comes to bottling its own wines, Jasmin started doing so in 1909 after starting working as the chef of Chateau d’Ampuis! While he was working in the kitchen and always loved the wines of the region, a vineyard nearby became available and he bought it, literally throwing his apron! I find the wines from Jasmin very elegant. Whole cluster was the rule there until 1996 when destemming started as the newer generation took over the winery. This 1988 was youthful and beautifully perfumed.

NIKITA: Jasmin from the late 80’s and early 90’s somehow always deliver, a great example of why so many lovers of Burgundy appreciate Côte-Rôtie. Quite elegant.

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/23/2022

Part 3, Hermitage

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because I’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where I’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to four scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region: Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which I’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/30/2022

Part 4, Crozes-Hermitage & Cornas

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because i’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where i’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to 4 scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region, Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which i’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/15/2022

Part 2, Saint-Joseph

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because i’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where I’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to 4 scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region: Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which I’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgeable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

Podcast "The Northern Rhône with Mannie Berk & Rajat Parr"

Raj Vaidya

6/9/2022

Part 1, Côte-Rôtie

I’ve had the Northern Rhône on my mind of late, partly because of some special time spent there in April and also because i’m getting excited about hosting our next Sommelier Scholarship Fund trip back to the region in a few weeks, where i’ll have the pleasure of introducing the region to 4 scholars who will travel with me to learn the nuances of the region. I took this current infatuation as an excuse to tap into two of the great minds and palates I know of when it comes to the region, Mannie Berk, the proprietor of the Rare Wine Company and Rajat Parr, former sommelier turned vigneron in California. We had a lovely chat about the various red wine appellations which i’ve split up into digestible segments for you to listen to at your leisure. Hope you enjoy listening in, they are truly some of the most knowledgable and experienced minds in the business.

-Raj

News from the Vineyard; A discovery just north of Côte-Rôtie

by Raj Vaidya

May 9th, 2022

I shared some photographs and thoughts over the last couple of weeks pertaining to the farming practices in Côte-Rôtie, and one important reality that must be reckoned with there is that the vineyards which have been treated with chemical herbicides over the past decades will take some time to recover and rejuvenate. The fact is that vignerons like Clusel and Stephan who have farmed organically for many years are in the minority.

Whilst visiting I came across a young couple, Sophie Eymin and Kevin Tichoux, who began a small winery and vineyard in 2017, with vines in Côte-Rôtie which they have converted to organics. They told me that they have planted a vineyard in Sessyuel, a village just north of Ampuis, on the other side of the river but thanks to the meandering river path has the same aspect, facing due south with very steep slopes falling down from the hillsides over the Rhône. Sessyuel was planted to the vine in Roman times, and continued to make respected (if not sought after) wines up until phylloxera after which the area was abandoned. Sophie Eymin’s family traces their roots in Sessyuel back to this era, and her family used their property on the hillsides to raise sheep and llamas over several generations, an unlikely fate for historic vineyards but one which allowed these parcels of land to never be affected by herbicides or really any chemicals at all…

Sophie Eymin and Kevin Tichoux of the new Domaine Eymin-Tichoux in front of the vineyard they’ve planted on the site of an old llama pasture in Sessyuel.

So they set about planting their first hectare of vineyard since phylloxera. The work they’ve embarked upon is momentous; they had to clear the slopes completely overgrown below the vineyard in the pasture after the first planting to add more acreage, these are formerly terraced vineyards from Roman times and extremely steep.

Kevin stands beneath the slope they have planted to Syrah in Sessyuel. The wooded area to the left of the picture gives one an idea of how this parcel looked prior to being cleared, and they plan to continue clearing the property till they have planted the amphitheater which this parcel represents the eastern half of.

The vineyard was teeming with life. We could see the back side of the hill of Côte-Rôtie across the river and feel the crisp wind channeling through past the vines; this part of the Rhône is the narrowest valley in the vine growing areas of the north.

The Eymin-Tichoux Sessyuel vineyard overlooking the Rhône and the back side of Côte-Rôtie in the background.

The domaine makes two bottlings from Sessyuel, a small amount of Côte-Rôtie as well as a white Saint Joseph and red Crozes-Hermitage from purchased grapes. These are very young vines with the exception of the Côte-Rôtie which they were lucky enough to be able to buy thanks to a government grant set aside for young entrepreneurial farmers in the area. But already I found the wines to be delightful and full of promise. I have high hopes that we’ll be able to have them join us sometime down the road for La Tablée, so keep an eye out for them!

News from the Vineyard; Further exploration in Côte-Rôtie

A few specific reflections on farming in some of the most famed Syrah vineyards in the world…

by Raj Vaidya

May 2nd, 2022

Last week I made mention of how the steep, often terraced terrain of Côte-Rôtie has been a deterrent historically to farming the vines organically. The difficulty in turning and ploughing soil and the inability in most places to work with a tractor have caused the appellation to be quite inundated with herbicide residues over the past 6 decades.

But this is changing slowly, with vignerons like Jean-Michel Stephan and Guillaume Clusel (who follows in the tradition of his parents, Gilbert and Brigitte) leading the way. You saw a short video last week of Pierre Rostaing explaning how he combats erosion and adds compost by breaking up the plant matter from pruning and leaving it on the top soil through the winter. In Clusel’s case, the use of cover crops is more a part of their program, as evidenced in the pictures below.

The Viallière vineyard is a great illustration of how the cover crops have aided against erosion as noted by the steepness in the video below.

There is certainly a long way to go, and the total surface of vineyards which are certified organic within the appellation remains extremely small. Most of the vineyards remain brown and compacted all summer long.

Be sure to check in next week when I introduce a tiny new producer in Sessyuel, just north of Côte-Rôtie who has planted an organic vineyard for the first time in a century, in a place where wine has been made since the Roman era…

News from the Vineyard; Exploring Côte-Rôtie

A few thoughts on some of the most famed Syrah vineyards in the world…

by Raj Vaidya

April 26th, 2022

I had the opportunity to visit the Northern Rhône Valley last week along with Daniel and our friend, sommelier Matthew Conway, and after the visit to taste a full range of verticals at Clusel-Roch (see Daniel’s post from the last newsletter) I decided I wanted to spend a little more time exploring the wines and the terroir here.

The first matter that strikes one as they arrive in Ampuis is how extreme the slope of the hill is. Often rising up to a gradient of as much as 40%, this creates the sun exposure (thanks to the Southern aspect) that gives the appellation its moniker of the ‘roasted slope’. The picture below gives you some sense of the steepness from the bottom of Guigal’s La Turque vineyard.

It struck me that such steep terrain has a huge impact on viticultural techniques. For example, when vignerons are ploughing their soil to increase aeration and remove weeds, they have to be connected by wire to a winch system at the top of their vineyard so that they don’t tumble down the hill. This also has to be work done by hand, as there is no way of driving a tractor up (or down) the hill safely. It is likely for this reason that many farmers in the appellation do not practice organic farming, and prefer instead to use herbicides to manage the weeds. This of course causes poorly aerated soils and contribute to erosion of the already meager topsoil. There are some producers who are working organically though, and many more in conversion, which is a promising sign. You can see how Pierre Rostaing is reintroducing organic matter in his extremely steep Côte Brune vineyard.

Another feature to farming in these steep parcels is the frequent use of terracing to make the work easier (i.e. making it easier to stand and work in the vines.) You see this a lot in the southern section of the appellation, as illustrated below in pictures of the Tupin area.

In the coming weeks I’ll share a couple of additional thoughts about the region so be sure to check in on the newsletter next week to gain some further insight on farming in Côte Rôtie!

A milestone celebration at Maison Clusel-Roch

by Daniel Johnnes

April 21, 2022

I was in Cote Rôtie this past Saturday attending the the retirement party of Brigitte and Gilbert Clusel-Roch, winemakers I met in 1992.

After reading about this producer in Clive Coates’ The Vine and having just started my import business, I was dreaming of adding a famous appellation such as Cote Rôtie to my blossoming portfolio.

Upon finding a fax number for them (no internet back then), I asked for a visit. Upon arrival, we spent about an hour talking about New York, wine, my background and my interest in their region and then several more hours tasting the current vintage, 1990, and older vintages of both the Cuvée Classique and Les Grandes Places, which were the only two wines they made at the time from about 2.5 hectares of vines in the Côte Brune district. Their other holdings are in Viallière, planted in 1984, Le Plomb, Champon and Fongeant which were all blended into the Classique. When Viallière reached 25 years of age in 2009, they started bottling it under that named “Lieu Dit”.

Gilbert’s first vintage was 1980 after taking over from his father, René Clusel, who officially retired in 1987. Like much of the Northern Rhone, the 70’s and 80’s were tough times, with most of the producers owning small plots of land and dependent on their vegetable and fruit production to subsist. The larger part of their grape production went to Guigal or other large negociants.

Gilbert, however, was committed to making “real” wine. He inherited from his father and grandfather old vines planted with Serine which is the legacy variety or true Syrah before the more productive clones became popular. He did all the work by hand, was one of the first to work organically and was the first in the appellation to be certified organic in 2002.

With the arrival of Guillaume who is now officially in charge, the domaine has grown substantially. Today their are about 11 hectares, 3 bottlings of Côte Rôtie, a delicous Condrieu, plus a more recent project in the Cote Roannaise.

The wines have never been better, and Brigitte and Gilbert can relax and enjoy the fruits of their hard work knowing the next generation is taking the domaine to the next level!

Kicking Off La Tablée with an ode to 1990 in the Northern Rhône

January 27, 2022
by Edouard Bourgeois

1990 was an important vintage in the Northern Rhône for two reasons. First, it offered ideal weather conditions that made for exceptionally great wines. Secondly, because this event happened in a much needed era during which these wines didn’t enjoy the great reputation they do today. In fact, besides a few producers like Guigal and its famous Côte-Rôtie trio, Robert Parker nicknamed “the Lala’s”, the terraced vineyards were largely abandoned. As a reference, only 100 acres of vineyards were planted in the Côte-Rôtie appellation in the 1950’s versus 500 acres today. And all the way through the 1980’s, the few vine growers who dared face the hard labor on these steep hillside vineyards would mostly sell their crop to the local négociants. Chapoutier and Jaboulet or even Vidal-Fleury were among them and still operate today. A fun fact, Marius Gentaz of the historic and now legendary domaine Gentaz-Dervieux was the first one to receive an offer to purchase a parcel of La Turque lieu-dit from Vidal-Fleury back in 1980. Because he already had enough work with his own vineyards, he declined the offer. The rest is history…

Going back to 1990, this ideal vintage was in fact part of a series of four great vintages from 1989 to 1992. Lush wines, evenly ripe and balanced that still evolve today after 30 years.

Last night’s wine lineup for the first event of La Tablée was impressive. Here is a quick recap on the wines and how they showed:

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Guests were welcomed with a glass of Condrieu from Chateau de Rozay. It is really interesting to see how an old Viognier can be so complex and highly mineral, especially when it seems that young Condrieu can develop a certain sweetness along with exotic aromas. This 1990 was dry and linear.

 FIRST COURSE

Oysters "Vanderbilt"

John's River Oysters Gratinées, Hazelnut, Parsley-Seaweed Crust

Domaine Marcel Juge, Saint-Peray Blanc 1990

I thought this wine showed a bit too much of the heat of the vintage and the fruit was overwhelmed by that characteristic. A bit of a downer but fortunately, nothing disappointed after that.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage Blanc 1990

“The King of the Hill”, Chave may be famous for his brooding red Hermitages but he also produces a very large proportion of white wine from a blend of Roussanne and Marsanne. These whites are typically oily and very intense, built to age. The two bottles we opened were pitch perfect and fragrant with dry apricots and dried herbs.

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SECOND COURSE

Roasted Monkfish Tail

Carrot Mousseline, Bacon Lardons, Caramelized Pearl Onions

Sauce Côte-Rôtie

Domaine Jamet, Côte-Rôtie 1990

Domaine Jasmin, Côte-Rôtie 1990

Domaine Gentaz-Dervieux, Côte-Rôtie “Côte Brune” 1990

Stunning flight. Côte-Rôtie is often described as the Burgundy of the Rhône. I would agree on that for the Jamet. I have never been disappointed by a bottle from this producer. This 1990 was maybe the best bottle I’ve had. Everything was exactly in its place. A touch of smoked meat, black olives and tar, a real show-stopper. Gentaz-Dervieux’s Côte Brune took a little time to fully open but eventually displayed incredible depth and a lovely black fruit quality. Finding this wine today is nearly impossible. Finally, Jasmin delivered a great performance. Not quite as impressive as the other two but a great bottle and the only wine of the flight with a touch of Viognier co-fermented with the Syrah as well as a de-stemmed vatting fermentation.

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THIRD COURSE

Girelle Pasta with Wild Mushrooms

Broccoli Rabe, Comté Emulsion, Black Truffles

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage 1990

Domaine Bernard Faurie, Hermitage 1990

Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Hermitage “La Chapelle” 1990

Domaine Marc Sorrel, Hermitage “Le Greal” 1990

Chave was impressively vibrant and youthful, my second favorite wine of the night with a very long finish. Bernard Faurie may not be as famous on wine auctions or on wine lists but their wines are incredibly authentic. This bottle was exactly that, generous and with a touch of rustic earthiness. Parker’s 100 pointer La Chapelle clearly stood out in this flight, displaying a very modern style. It took a long time for the wine to unfold and its tight grain makes you believe it still has a few decades ahead. Overall exuberant and to me still too “one-dimensional”. Finally, the Marc Sorrel’s bottling had a dirty and animal edge not everyone loved. I would agree that the wine was probably a bit over the hill. Luckily that was the only cuvée that seemed past its prime that night.    

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MAIN COURSE

Whole Roasted Venison Loin

Blackberry and Red Wine Braised Cabbage, Confit Roots, Crosnes, Juniper Sauce

Sauce Grand Veneur

Domaine Noël Verset, Cornas 1990

Domaine Clape, Cornas 1990

Domaine Thierry Allemand, Cornas 1990 (tasting pour)

Domaine Courbis, Cornas “Sabarotte” 1990

The appellation of Cornas is the same size as Hermitage with roughly 320 acres each. But the former has been overlooked for a very long time until recently when both long established producers and newcomers changed the reputation of these wines and really put them on the map. This flight though was a perfect show of the old school artists. Noël Verset’s Cornas was probably my #3 wine of the night. At first reduced, it reminded me of roasted beets with a strong and in fact quite unappealing dirty nose. After much swirling and patience, I finally put it to my lips and the palate was much more profound and beautiful than expected. Long and brilliant finish, very elegant. Clape is still making very fine wines. It was amazing to taste such an old cuvée that also appeared a bit timid at first but eventually developed all the smoked meat and dried herbs one can expect from Cornas. I was also surprised by the high levels of acidity. The hyper rare bottle of Thierry Allemand’s 1990 did not disappoint. Multi layered and full of life. Finally, the Sabarotte expressed a soft texture and dark fruit aromas. A polished and delicious wine but unsurprisingly not playing in the same high league of the other three of this flight

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CHEESE

Black Truffle Moses Sleeper

Mâche Salad, Hazelnut Toast

Unforgettable night in NYC