Domaine Clusel Roch - Côte Rotie - Les Schistes 2017
The Clusel-Roch estate was created in the 1950s by René and Joséphine Clusel, who, like many farmers in Ampuis, grew vegetables, fruit trees and Côte-Rôtie vines. Their son Gilbert joined the family estate and recovered old abandoned vines. When René Clusel retired, the estate had 3.5 hectares of vines. It was at this time that fruit and vegetable crops were abandoned. The 1990s saw a lot of changes, and in the 2000s, the family obtained certification in organic farming.
Today, and since 2009, Guillaume Clusel (the son of Gilbert and Brigitte) manages the estate. It was he who introduced the third designation of their range, the AOC Coteaux du Lyonnais. They have vines on three appellations: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Coteaux du Lyonnais.
The Côte-Rôtie “Les Schistes” is a blend of Syrah (95%) with a small proportion of Viognier. The average age of the vines is between 10 to 60 years. The harvest is done by hand. Careful sorting is carried out in the vineyard by the pickers. Arrived at the winery, the grapes are vats by gravity; they are partially destemmed. Fermentation is done with indigenous yeasts. During the winemaking, successive punching down and pumping over. Then the wine is racked after 3 to 4 weeks following tasting. Aging lasts 2 years in fine-grained 228-liter French oak barrels that have been dried for 4 years, 15% of which is new.