Domaine Pierre Gaillard Côte-Rôtie 375ml 2021

Domaine Pierre Gaillard Côte-Rôtie is a co-fermented Syrah and Viognier from the schist terraces of Ampuis, offered here in a half bottle.

Côte-Rôtie is the northernmost of the Rhône crus, a wall of terraced schist above Ampuis where Syrah may legally be co-fermented with up to twenty per cent Viognier. Pierre Gaillard was among the growers who rebuilt these slopes from the 1980s, and the domaine now farms parcels across both the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde sides of the appellation. This cuvée blends ninety per cent Syrah with ten per cent Viognier drawn from the schist of Fongeant and Viallière at Ampuis, plus a parcel on gneiss at Semons in the south of the appellation. Everything was picked by hand with a strict selection of bunches and berries, then fully destemmed. Vinification began with a five-day pre-fermentation soak followed by regular punch-downs. The wine spent eighteen months in barrique, thirty-five per cent of it new, and was bottled without filtration. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with juicy dark fruit, smoky black olive and anise inside a fine tannin frame.

Give it six months in bottle for the parts to knit, then drink over the next decade. Serve at 16-18°C with roast duck, grilled lamb or braised beef cheek.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.