Jean-Baptiste Souillard Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Bassenon 2021

Coteaux de Bassenon is the southernmost terroir in Côte-Rôtie, and Souillard's holding there is a tenth of a hectare on sand and broken granite.

Côte-Rôtie occupies steep terraced slopes above Ampuis at the northern tip of the Rhône, divided by tradition into the Côte Blonde and the Côte Brune. Jean-Baptiste Souillard works two terroirs in the appellation: Tartaras, one of its highest vineyards at 320 metres, and this east-facing parcel at Bassenon, part of the Côte Blonde and touching Condrieu, at 280 metres. The soil is broken-down granite and sand with just forty to fifty centimetres of topsoil, on terraced gradients of 60 to 65 per cent that must be worked by hand; Jean-Michel Stéphan farms nearby. Souillard notes that the sandy soils give very elegant wines and that vine age matters less here because roots must plunge straight into bedrock. The wine ferments with partial whole clusters in tank with frequent pump-overs, then ages up to twenty months in barrel, none of it new.

Rewarding five to fifteen years and worth decanting now. Serve at 16 to 18°C with roast beef, duck or a peppery lamb shoulder.

*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.