2021 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”Bernard Baudry
France | Loire
$36
Producers
The magic of great Côte Rôtie does not come from its reputation for being a big, bombastic wine. In fact, what you’re looking for is a balance of the wild, meaty, earthy characteristics, with the graceful aromas of—like the name of this particular wine—roses. Do not be fooled. Syrah with restraint gives the most depth, complexity, and aging potential.
The 2017 Les Roses is a blend of two lieux-dits: Fongeant and Champin.
—Clark Z. Terry
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Syrah |
Appellation: | Côte Rôtie |
Country: | France |
Region: | Northern Rhône |
Producer: | Barruol Lynch - Northern Rhône |
Winemaker: | Louis Barruol |
Vineyard: | 30 - 50 years |
Soil: | Schist |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône | Saint Joseph
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Côte Rôtie
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône | Condrieu
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Hermitage
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Hermitage
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône | Saint-Joseph
On the wines of the northern Rhône, Kermit wrote in Adventures on the Wine Route, “The best combine a reminder of the sunny Mediterranean with the more self-conscious, intellectual appeal of the great Burgundies farther north, which is not a bad combination.” Like the wines of Provence, Burgundy, and Beaujolais, Kermit was introduced to this region by Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters.
Though technically part of the same region as the southern Rhône and connected by the Rhône River, much differentiates the north from the south. The climate is continental and in general cooler than that Mediterranean climate of the south. The appellations are significantly smaller: Cornas has less than 300 acres planted to vine and Hermitage around 345. The area planted is minute when compared to Gigondas (3,000+ acres) and Châteauneuf-du-Pape (nearly 8,000 acres). Many of the great wines come from steep hillside vines—terraced during Roman times. It was clear to the Romans that great wine could be made here and DNA evidence now shows that Syrah is in fact indigenous to the Rhône.
The terroir is predominantly granite and lastly, blends of the wines are mostly single grape varieties. Only four grape varieties are permitted in AOC blends: Syrah, Viogner, Marsanne, and Roussanne (as compared to the 19 permitted varieties allowed in Châteauneuf). The red wines are nearly all Syrah and Condrieu and Château Grillet must be 100% Viogner. The whites of Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Saint Péray, and Crozes-Hermitages may only be blends of Marsanne and Roussanne.
Domaine Monier Perréol France | Northern Rhône | Saint Joseph
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône | Collines Rhodaniennes
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône | IGP Ardèche
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Crozes Hermitage
André Perret France | Northern Rhône | Condrieu
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Hermitage
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Côte Rôtie
Barruol Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Côte Rôtie
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône | Saint-Joseph
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône | Saint-Joseph
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Côte Rôtie
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône | Condrieu
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174
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