Introduction to Côte-Rôtie
The Côte-Rôtie is the northern pillar of the Northern Rhone. Just 40 kilometers from the center of Lyon, Ampuis is the growers’ village where the grapes all but fall down jagged cliffs into the cellars. The main road is hemmed by the river and the cliffs, where each vigneron’s shingle hangs side by side.
Translated as “Roasted Slope,” the vertigo here is as intense as the Syrah. Long hot days that send Parisian holidaymakers down the opposite side of the river to the Mediterranean combine with granite and schist to create perfumed and full-bodied Syrah. Stone walls hold the soil in place and absorb the heat of the day to keep vines warm against the biting mistral winds.
While the region is nearly synonymous with the negociant and growing powerhouse of E. Guigal, there are numerous other producers who demonstrate that there is more to the Cote than just new oak. Vidal Fleury is one of the older names in the region and is known for their delicate style (Incidentally they are now part of the Guigal portfolio). Stephane Ogier produces (dark) fruit forward wines while Rene Rostaing achieves the classic intensity with very little oak. Jamet is the region’s traditionalist, favoring whole bunch fermentation in old oak demi-muids.
Like many of its Rhone counterparts, there are allowances for blending white grapes into red wine and up to 20% Viognier is allowed. This serves to lighten the harsh tannins, especially in younger wines and provides aromatics for balance.
Côte-Rôtie Notable Crus
Regions here are more fluid than Burgundy or Bordeaux, and while there are many lieux dites, only a selection of growers will use these monikers.
Côte Blonde / Côviste Brune
These designations encompass the two main slopes of the Côte-Rôtie. Legend has it that a local lord named them for his daughter’s hair colors, but it’s just as likely a literal description of the soil color. The schist of the Côte Brune is distinctively darker, while the Blonde side has much more granite. The easterly tilt of the Côte Blonde provides an opportunity to grow Viognier here.
La Turque / La Mouline / La Landonne
While not exactly monopoles (Rostaing produces a fantastic Landonne), these sites have been well branded and marketed by Guigal. La Landonne is upstream of the Cote Brune and the most intense of this triumvirate. La Turque is a site in the Cote Brune, while La Mouline produces the lighter wine of Cote Blonde. Each of these “La Las” demonstrates that each vineyard has its own distinctive voice.
Côte-Rôtie Tasting Notes
If there was ever a wine that brought home the bacon, it’s Côte-Rôtie Smoky pork fat is laced with herbs and dark rich fruits. In many examples the oak leaves a distinctive mark, but when done properly adds breadth and depth rather than just vanilla flavor. While it curried favor with the international wine crowd and gave the region a name in the 1990s, traditional wine making here is relatively low intervention.
The Côte Brune has stronger tannins, and richer flavors come from the higher concentration of iron in the soil. Côte Blonde wines are slightly more elegant and may be drunk younger.
It’s recommended to wait several years, particularly for some of the more complex wines which will not yet have shed their bitterness. Côte-Rôtie also has a long decanting window and should be opened several hours in advance. The benefit of this is that it can keep well for 48 hours once it is opened.
