Cote Rotie “La Blonde du Seigneur” 2015
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“Aromātā jūtamas svaigu aveņu, melleņu un trifeļu notis. Garšā vīns ir intensīvs, sulīgs un augļains. Tanīni ir samtaini, pēcgarša ir maiga un ilga.” — Ronalds Pētersons, “Noble Wine” someljē
Finding great wines from the best producers is not always an easy task, simply because production volumes are small and many people want such wine. The Domaine Georges Vernay winery is no exception. Under the leadership of Georges Vernay, the winery made a significant contribution to the recognition of the Condrieu appellation, especially in the 1960s, when the appellation occupied only 8 hectares. Therefore, talking about the Condrieu appellation and not mentioning the Domaine Georges Vernay winery is like going to Jerusalem and not visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher - a big mistake. Today the winery is run by George's daughter, Christina and her husband, Paul Ansellem; the winery owns 8 hectares in Condrieu, 2.5 hectares in Côte Rotiers and 1.5 hectares in Saint Joseph. The grapes harvested from the vineyards in Condrieu, located in the heart of the appellation, produce three cuvées that convey the best qualities of the Viognier grape variety.
Syrah is a dark-skinned grape variety that exhibit very floral wines in its youth, developing violet and black pepper aromas and herbal and jammy notes as it ages. Very sctructural and silk wines with quaite soft bitterness.
Côte-Rôtie is the northernmost appellation of Côtes du Rhône. The slopes of the hills are so steep that work cultivating the vines is more suitable for stuntmen than farmers. Côte-Rôtie is known for its two slopes - Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. The gravel and limestone soil of Côte Blonde creates very aromatic and saturated wines while the land in Côte Brune is rich with iron and makes the wines elegant and sophisticated. The main grape variety on both slopes is Syrah, but, in order to soften the wine, Viognier is added. Although the wine is strong and spicy at first, time gives it elegance making it one of the Syrah benchmarks worldwide. As the wine gets older, the aromas of violets and forest are replaced by notes of vanilla, hazelnuts and almonds.
Côtes du Rhône vineyards are located on the banks of the Rhône River. The soil and the geographical conditions are very heterogeneous in the northern and southern parts of the region therefore the valley is divided in two parts - Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Vines in Northern Rhône are mainly grown on so-called "terraces" - steep granite and slate slopes. Winemakers are often not very fond of the harsh mistral wind because of its low temperature. The unusual climate causes the vines to produce small yields, but at the same time provides an intense flavour that has given the wines of Northern Rhône worldwide fame. Syrah is the mainly used grape for red wines - it produces deep wines with hints of pepper that are suitable for long ageing. Viognier is the queen of white wines, but Marsanne and Rousanne are also always close by. Some appellations allow white grapes to be added to red wines in order to smoothen the roughness of Syrah and enrich the wines with floral aromas. The landscapes of Southern Rhône are very different from the northern part - the vineyards are located along the river on low hills and plains and the weather is much friendlier. The grapes ripen in the hot summer sun and obtain a high sugar level resulting in rich and mouth-filling wines. The main grape used is Grenache, but 12 other varieties are allowed in the region - interestingly some wines even combine all of them.
Côtes du Rhône vineyards are located on the banks of the Rhône River. The soil and the geographical conditions are very heterogeneous in the northern and southern parts of the region therefore the valley is divided in two parts – Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Vines in Northern Rhône are mainly grown on so-called “terraces” – steep granite and slate slopes. Winemakers are often not very fond of the harsh mistral wind because of its low temperature. The unusual climate causes the vines to produce small yields, but at the same time provides an intense flavour that has given the wines of Northern Rhône worldwide fame. Syrah is the mainly used grape for red wines – it produces deep wines with hints of pepper that are suitable for long ageing. Viognier is the queen of white wines, but Marsanne and Rousanne are also always close by. Some appellations allow white grapes to be added to red wines in order to smoothen the roughness of Syrah and enrich the wines with floral aromas. The landscapes of Southern Rhône are very different from the northern part – the vineyards are located along the river on low hills and plains and the weather is much friendlier. The grapes ripen in the hot summer sun and obtain a high sugar level resulting in rich and mouth-filling wines. The main grape used is Grenache, but 12 other varieties are allowed in the region – interestingly some wines even combine all of them.