Vidal-Fleury was created in 1781 and has long enjoyed an international reputation. Thomas Jefferson’s visit in 1787 was its first contact with the USA. In the 1890s, the dowry of a daughter from the Fleury family made it possible to replant the vineyard following the phylloxera outbreak. In the middle of the 20th century, Vidal-Fleury became a leading wine grower in the Côte-Rôtie. In 1984 it was taken over by Établissements Guigal but held on to its own identity and commercial autonomy. Its emphasis is very much on quality of cultivation and élevage, key aspects of crafting a fine wine.

On this small 0.6-hectare plot, the vines are thirty years old. In the cellar, like for the rest of the cuvées, indigenous yeasts are used during the fermentation. Extracted gently at a low temperature, this wine is juicy yet firm. It is aged in oak barrels for 2 years, of which 25% are new. It is a fine-grained French oak with 4 years’ drying. On the nose, the aromas of black fruit and spices dominate and the aromatic persistence is superb. This wine is produced in small quantities (3,000 bottles per year).