An incredible rendition of Les Grandes Places from Clusel Roch, this beautiful old vine cuvee is one of the gems of this Rhone producer, and we have a few bottles left of this one due to arrive in Q2. This is one of the best versions that Clusel Roch has ever made, and for those serious about Rhone wines, this is one of the top buys of the vintage, and we have friendly pricing on a limited amount.
One of the Cote-Rotie's key yet lesser-known addresses, Clusel-Roch, is a family of passionate farmers working the hills of Cote-Rotie for many years. Their dedication to the sustainability of the vineyards and organic approach is always something we love seeing, with all of the vineyards getting the same level of treatment. The Domaine encompasses 20 hectares of vines throughout Ampuis, Cote-Rotie, Condrieu, and Millery (Coteaux de Lyon) with dense plantings to limit yields, usually well over 8,000 vines per hectare, as well as organic farming. The Estate is run by Gilbert Clusel and his wife Brigitte Roch, who have recently been joined by their son Guillaume.
One of the Mainstays of this address is Les Grandes Places, a fantastic vineyard located in the North of Cote-Rotie is also made by a few other great producers like Jean Michel Gerin. The Syrah vines here are very old, at 80 years old, and grow on slopes of ferrous mica-schist soils that face southeast. The vines are planted with a massales selection of an ancient variety of Syrah called Sérine, which is considered the best producing more complex aromatics. Grapes are handpicked and partially destemmed before fermentation with natural yeasts and aging in 2-year-old oak barrels.
2019 is a top rendition of Les Grandes Places and is a wine that will soak up the time in the cellar and start to get more expressive as it ages. While it is very complex now, it will be even more so in a few years and allow the young tannins to melt in a bit more. It is a classic example of Cote-Rotie built for the long haul, and those with the patience will be greatly rewarded
Vinous (Josh Raynolds) 95-97pts! "Smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of fresh dark berries, cherry cola and vanilla, along with a hint of olive in the background. Supple, broad and alluringly sweet, offering deeply concentrated black raspberry, cherry preserve, spicecake and violet pastille flavors and a report of smoky minerality on the back half. Shows superb energy and fine detail and reveals no rough edges. Finishes velvety, energetic and extremely long, displaying excellent focus, youthfully chewy tannins and lingering florality."
Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) 95+ points! "The intense, tannic 2019 Cote Rotie les Grandes Places—from vines planted in 1935, 1960 and 1984—needs lots of time to come into a more pleasurable state of drinkability. It's full-bodied, concentrated, dense and tannic, but it shows promising notes of grilled plums and salted licorice on a long, long finish. It's a terrific effort, but one that will require serious patience."
2019 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places
2019 Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places
An incredible rendition of Les Grandes Places from Clusel Roch, this beautiful old vine cuvee is one of the gems of this Rhone producer, and we have a few bottles left of this one due to arrive in Q2. This is one of the best versions that Clusel Roch has ever made, and for those serious about Rhone wines, this is one of the top buys of the vintage, and we have friendly pricing on a limited amount.
One of the Cote-Rotie's key yet lesser-known addresses, Clusel-Roch, is a family of passionate farmers working the hills of Cote-Rotie for many years. Their dedication to the sustainability of the vineyards and organic approach is always something we love seeing, with all of the vineyards getting the same level of treatment. The Domaine encompasses 20 hectares of vines throughout Ampuis, Cote-Rotie, Condrieu, and Millery (Coteaux de Lyon) with dense plantings to limit yields, usually well over 8,000 vines per hectare, as well as organic farming. The Estate is run by Gilbert Clusel and his wife Brigitte Roch, who have recently been joined by their son Guillaume.
One of the Mainstays of this address is Les Grandes Places, a fantastic vineyard located in the North of Cote-Rotie is also made by a few other great producers like Jean Michel Gerin. The Syrah vines here are very old, at 80 years old, and grow on slopes of ferrous mica-schist soils that face southeast. The vines are planted with a massales selection of an ancient variety of Syrah called Sérine, which is considered the best producing more complex aromatics. Grapes are handpicked and partially destemmed before fermentation with natural yeasts and aging in 2-year-old oak barrels.
2019 is a top rendition of Les Grandes Places and is a wine that will soak up the time in the cellar and start to get more expressive as it ages. While it is very complex now, it will be even more so in a few years and allow the young tannins to melt in a bit more. It is a classic example of Cote-Rotie built for the long haul, and those with the patience will be greatly rewarded
Vinous (Josh Raynolds) 95-97pts! "Smoke- and mineral-accented aromas of fresh dark berries, cherry cola and vanilla, along with a hint of olive in the background. Supple, broad and alluringly sweet, offering deeply concentrated black raspberry, cherry preserve, spicecake and violet pastille flavors and a report of smoky minerality on the back half. Shows superb energy and fine detail and reveals no rough edges. Finishes velvety, energetic and extremely long, displaying excellent focus, youthfully chewy tannins and lingering florality."
Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) 95+ points! "The intense, tannic 2019 Cote Rotie les Grandes Places—from vines planted in 1935, 1960 and 1984—needs lots of time to come into a more pleasurable state of drinkability. It's full-bodied, concentrated, dense and tannic, but it shows promising notes of grilled plums and salted licorice on a long, long finish. It's a terrific effort, but one that will require serious patience."
