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2020 Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “l’Art Zélé”
Lionel FauryIf you want to experience the classic flavors of northern Rhône Syrah, then here is a textbook example. Velvety black fruit coats the palate like a fine pulp, while sensations of cracked pepper and pulverized schist stone provide an incisive, mouth-watering precision that can only be achieved from cool-climate Syrah planted in thin, rocky soil.
The soil in question is mica-schist situated just outside the boundaries of the Côte-Rôtie appellation, in a parcel above Ampuis called l’Arsélie. Unable to blend the fruit into his Côte-Rôtie, Lionel Faury has bottled this cuvée—whose name, a pun on the vineyard site, translates roughly to “zealous art”—separately since its inception nearly ten years ago. Now approaching twenty years of age, the vines have their roots firmly entrenched in these rocky soils, resulting in a wine with the depth, nuanced aromatics, and milled-stone minerality of great Côte-Rôtie—all while maintaining inviting youthful fruit.
Fermented with roughly 50% whole clusters and bottled by gravity without filtration, this cuvée conveys the lifted spice, savory, and floral elements that we love about traditional northern Rhône reds. Lionel allows the terroir to express itself to its fullest, making this an ideal point of entry to experience authentic Côte-Rôtie—even if officially speaking, it isn’t Côte-Rôtie at all.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Syrah |
Appellation: | Collines Rhodaniennes |
Country: | France |
Region: | Northern Rhône |
Producer: | Lionel Faury |
Winemaker: | Lionel Faury |
Vineyard: | Planted 1993; .75 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Aging: | Aged for 15 months in 5 to 15 year-old demi-muid |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Lionel Faury
Along the steep, narrow valley that traces the northern Rhône, the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Saint-Joseph take their place among the great wines of France, and Domaine Faury is one of the region’s most artisanal producers. When Philippe Faury took over the domaine in 1979, the family was selling wine, peaches and cherries, and the bulk of their clientele was local. Over the years, Philippe increased their holdings to over 11 hectares and began to sell internationally. He shared his savoir faire with his son, Lionel. Since 2006, Lionel has taken over the reins, though father and son still work side by side. Every method they use encourages the grape towards greatness with the ultimate respect for its fragility.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171