Northern Rhone
Côte-Rôtie (露迪山麓)

Click to View: Map of Cote-Rotie

This is the most northerly and one of the oldest appellations in France’s Rhone region. Its name means “roasted slope” and it covers some 197 hectares of sunbaked vineyards, most of which are located on the steep hillside above the village of Ampuis near the town of Vienne, south of Lyon.

This area dates way back to the Roman era which set sight on the unique terroir of this area, as proven by a Roman mosaic found in the area.

The vineyards are built on terraces so narrow and steep that tending and harvesting the vineyards must be done manually. There are two sections that produce the best wines-one with lighter-colored soil called Côte Blonde and one with darker soil called Côte Brune. Legend has it that Maugiron, a nobleman in this area, gave one of the two sections to his blond daughter and the other section to his brunette daughter and that over time the two sections took on the traits of their perspective owners.

Côte-Rôtie produces only red wines made from Syrah, with up to 20 percent of the white grape Viognier in the blend. The wines are noted for their exotic fragrance, deep color, rich, spicy flavor, and full-bodied. Most of the better Côte-Rôtie wines will age easily for 10 or more years.

Grape(s):

Soils:
The vines are sited on extremely steep, granitic-sandy, slope with small terraces. The Côte Blonde has a calcareous-sandy soil; the Côte Brune has iron-rich sand and clay.

From left to right: Granite, Sand, and Clay.

Weather Conditions:
This area sees a moderate continental climate, with warm summers and regular rainfall in the other seasons. The area can suffer under the mistral, a strong, cold wind from the north, which can last for several days.

From left to right: Continental Climate, Strong Winds, Warm Summers, and Moderate Rainfall.

Best Producers:

Bernard Burgaud
Chapoutier (La Mordorée)
Clusel-Roch (Les Grands Places, Cuvée Classique)
Delas (Seigneur de Maugiron)
E-Guigal
(La Turque, La Mouline, La Landonne, Chateau dAmpuis, and Côte Brune et Blonde)
Jean-Luc Jamet
Jean-Michel Gerin
Pierre-Gaillard (Rosé Pourpre & Brune et Blonde)
Rene Rostaing
Yves Cuilleron
Yves Gangloff (Barbarine & Regular)

Further Reading:
Terroir France
Wikipedia
Wine Doctor
Wine Anorak
A Donkey and Goat
Wine.com