The Gerin family has lived in Ampuis in the heart of the Côte-Rôtie for six generations. Jean-Michel Gerin established his own vineyards in 1983 with plots in the Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu appellations and two very fine parcels in La Landonne and Les Grandes Places. His vines are tended the traditional way, by hand and without the use of chemical fertilisers or herbicides with organic conversion starting in 2020. Extraction is a priority throughout the vinification process and the wines are aged in low-capacity oak barrels. Jean-Michel's wines are concentrated and impressively velvety. His 17-hectare property takes in the Condrieu and Saint-Joseph appellations and the Collines Rhodaniennes IGP. Along with his wife, Monique, he represents the new wave of Côte-Rôtie producers even though his considerable experience gives his wines plenty of depth and finesse. In 2002 he also embarked on an additional venture, much further south in the sunny Priorat wine region, alongside friends Laurent Combier and Peter Fischer.

Les Grandes Places is grown in vineyards covering 1.4 hectares, 40% of which contain vines over 40 years old. The harvest is destemmed in full and macerated for four weeks, followed by two years' élevage. Its concentration is revealed in its aromas of liquorice, black berries and even chocolate, mellowing harmoniously in a lengthy finish. A dense, broad-shouldered wine, made for keeping, while retaining a beautiful subtlety.