Maison Clusel-Roch - "Les Schistes" Côte Rôtie 2021 750ml (12.5% abv)

Côte Rôtie the roasted slope, Roman vines. My favorite wine, desert Island bottle.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, René and Joséphine Clusel , like many Ampuis farmers, cultivated vegetables, fruit trees and Côte-Rôtie vines, from which they marketed the wine in bottles. At that time, Côte-Rôtie wines did not enjoy their current reputation, but René Clusel's Côte-Rôtie was appreciated by connoisseurs.

As the years passed, a new generation joined the estate: Guillaume Clusel, the son of Gilbert and Brigitte Clusel has been working the family vines since 2009. He now assumes all responsibility for the estate, supported by a passionate team. 

Cote Rotie "Les Schistes" is the blended cuveè formerly known as "Classique" formed from the terroir of four vineyard sites on the northern end of Cote Rotie: “Viallière”, “Champon”, “le Plomb”, “Montmain“, which share mica schist soil and south-east exposure. Vines are 10-60 years old.

It's medium to full-bodied taut and dry with a distinct tension between acidity and ripeness and a long cinnamon and pepper-inflected finish. Marked by striking aromas of licorice, tart pomegranate and violets set against a backdrop of black cherries with an energetic drive thanks to a spine of smoky minerality - Brambly barn yard nose. Finishes very long with persistent blue fruit and floral tones, subtle tannins and lingering spiciness. It should age well for a decade or more.

WA 91 pts.

region: Northern Rhone, Côte-Rôtie, France

varietal: 95 % Syrah 5% Viognier 

Style: distinctive brambly red 

farming + cellar: certified organic (ECOCERT), hand harvested, gravity fed winery, partially destemmed, ambient yeast, gentle extraction, matured 2 years in 228L fine grained French oak barrels (15% new) which have been dried for 4 years

Pairing: Roasted Game and squash creme bruleè