Producer
Domaine Clusel-Roch
Nestled below the steep slopes of the Côte Brune, this impeccably tended, bio-dynamically farmed domaine makes textbook Côte-Rôtie wines from very old parcels of Syrah. Understated yet complex, the wines are celebrated for their incredible purity and elegance, combining Syrah’s natural muscle with what we can only describe as a Burgundy-like finesse. Over the past few vintages Guillaume Clusel has made his mark on his paren...Read more
Nestled below the steep slopes of the Côte Brune, this impeccably tended, bio-dynamically farmed domaine makes textbook Côte-Rôtie wines from very old parcels of Syrah. Understated yet complex, the wines are celebrated for their incredible purity and elegance, combining Syrah’s natural muscle with what we can only describe as a Burgundy-like finesse. Over the past few vintages Guillaume Clusel has made his mark on his parents’ estate. The delicate handling in the vineyard and cellar results in wines with lower alcohol than many of their neighbours, and means they produce hugely pure, distinctive wines that avoid any over-extraction. Guillaume never employs a cold soak prior to fermentation and uses a high proportion of whole bunch fruit. As a result, the wines are often paler in colour than their neighbours. From 2016 onwards the estate no longer produces their young vine cuvée, ‘La Petite Feuille’, as the vines have reached sufficient maturity to be included in the main Côte Rôtie blend, ‘Les Schistes’ (formerly known as ‘Classique’). Rhône expert John Livingstone-Learmonth describes Les Grandes Places as ‘a formidable wine of challenging complexity and well worth the outlay.’ Jancis Robinson cites them as one of the most reliable producers in Côte Rôtie while Vinous’ Josh Raynolds thinks the wines are “among the most graceful of the appellation”.Read less
