Jean-Michel Gérin : La Viallière 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes for the Côte-Rôtie "La Viallière" 2023 Jean-Michel Gérin

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a deep garnet red hue, enhanced by violet highlights.

Nose
The nose opens with a lovely intensity of black fruits such as blackberry and blackcurrant, accompanied by cherry, violet, pepper and liquorice. With aeration, subtle smoky notes, leather and bitter cocoa enrich the bouquet.

Palate
The attack is full and fleshy, carried by a lovely freshness. The mid-palate reveals firm yet ripe tannins, offering an intense mineral backbone intertwined with flavours of juicy black fruit and spice. The finish, long and slightly saline, illustrates a fine balance between power and finesse.

Food and wine pairing

This French red wine pairs perfectly with a venison medallion Grand Veneur style served with a chestnut mousseline, a rabbit terrine with black olives, or more generally with red meats, poultry and game.

Service and storage

For optimal tasting, it is recommended to serve the Côte-Rôtie "La Viallière" 2023 at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. This wine deserves further cellar ageing and can be enjoyed from 2027, with a peak expected between 2029 and 2037, while continuing to evolve until around 2043.

The mineral expression and complexity of a Côte-Rôtie wine

The estate

Based in Ampuis, in the heart of the Rhône Valley, the Gérin family has been cultivating the vine for six generations. It was in 1983 that the Jean-Michel Gérin estate was officially founded by the man himself, a true pioneer of the appellation's revival. Today, the estate is run by his sons, Michaël and Alexis Gérin, who carry on this heritage with passion. Committed to an environmentally responsible approach, the estate obtained organic certification in 2023. It stands out for its pursuit of excellence, producing wines that express, with precision and elegance, the full richness of their terroirs.

The vineyard

The La Viallière plot covers 1.75 hectares in the northern part of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. Planted between 2003 and 2004 on vertiginous slopes reaching up to 60% gradient, these vines benefit from an ideal south and south-east exposure. The terroir, composed mainly of mica schist and schist, gives the wine a unique mineral identity. Planting density stands at 10,000 vines per hectare, encouraging healthy competition between the vines for optimal grape quality.

Winemaking and ageing

The grapes for the Côte-Rôtie "La Viallière" 2023 are harvested by hand in small crates to preserve the integrity of the berries. In the cellar, the grapes are 100% destemmed before undergoing fermentation and maceration in temperature-controlled tanks for four weeks. Malolactic fermentation then takes place in barrels. Finally, the wine is aged for 18 to 22 months in French oak half-casks, 30 to 50% of which are new, refining the wine's structure while preserving the brightness of the fruit.

Grape variety

100% Syrah