Lot presentation

Côte-Rôtie Maison Rouge Georges Vernay 2016

The wine

This Syrah single variety comes from fifty-year-old vines grown on coarse-grained, granite soils. Natacha Chave's ecological choices affect the quantity of yields. These are therefore moderate. Harvesting is done manually and the grapes are sorted directly in the vineyard. She ages her wines for 24 months in demi-muid barrels and pièces. Tasted between 16 and 18°C, this dark, ruby ​​wine offers an intense expression of mocha, cocoa, flowers and black fruit. Natacha Chave has created a full-bodied, dense and deliciously silky wine.

About the Producer Georges Vernay

“I liked the wines that came from the slopes, I found those from the plains very average”. These words of Georges Vernay sum up his contribution to Condrieu. Thanks to Georges, the abandoned, steep slopes here were given new life in the 1960s. In fact, this determined man had the genius intuition to cultivate vines on the “chaillées”, or terraces, aptly known as the “chaillées de l'enfer” (terraces from hell)! The history of this domaine goes back to 1938 when Francis Vernay planted his first hectare of Viognier. Georges Vernay joined in 1943 and expanded the domain by buying some parcels. He opened a tasting room that earned him a loyal English customer base. From 1943 to 2010, the domaine went from 1 to 22 hectares. Since his death in 2017, it has been his daughter Christine who has kept the family tradition alive. The vines are worked by hand and all chemical products are banned.

Detailed characteristics