Jean-Michel Stephan Cote Rotie Coteaux de Tupin 2018
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Blend: 100% Serine
Organic wines are few and far between in Côte-Rôtie. The terrain is steep and inaccessible to machines, the daylight hours long and toasty. To the North, the soil in Côte Brune is laden with iron-rich mica-shist; to the South, Côte Blonde soil is full of pale granite. Both are tough terrains and erosion is a common hazard and working by hand is a necessity.
It is for these reasons, but not these reasons alone, that the wines of Jean-Michel Stephan are exceptional.
In 1991, Jean-Michel Stephan established his estate with only 2 hectares of land about 40 km south of Lyon. Following the principles of Jules Chauvet, he has made his Côte-Rôtie without correction nor additives since the beginning.
One of only two certified Organic producers in the appellation, Stephan and his 25-year-old son, Romain, farm their 10 ha of Serine, Syrah, and Viognier. Only grown in Côte-Rôtie, the legendary Serine grape’s rootstock dates back from the early 20th century and was never shared outside of the vineyard’s walls.
Characterized by their purity and an admirable freshness, the Maison Stephan wines breathe life into the AOP and express an irresistibly unique character.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
The cultivation of vines here began with Greek settlers who arrived in 600 BC. Its proximity to Vienne was important then and also when that city became a Roman settlement but its situation, far from the negociants of Tain, led to its decline in more modern history. However the 1990s brought with it a revival fueled by one producer, Marcel Guigal, who believed in the zone’s potential. He, along with the critic, Robert Parker, are said to be responsible for the zone’s later 20th century renaissance.
Where the Rhone River turns, there is a build up of schist rock and a remarkable angle that produces slopes to maximize the rays of the sun. Cote Rotie remains one of the steepest in viticultural France. Its varied slopes have two designations. Some are dedicated as Côte Blonde and others as Côte Brune. Syrahs coming from Côte Blonde are lighter, more floral, and ready for earlier consumption—they can also include up to 20% of the highly scented Viognier. Those from Côte Brune are more sturdy, age-worthy and are typically nearly 100% Syrah. Either way, a Cote Rotie is going to have a particularly haunting and savory perfume, expressing a more feminine side of the northern Rhone.