2013 Fleurs de Mai, Vin de Pays, Domaine Georges Vernay

2013 Fleurs de Mai, Vin de Pays, Domaine Georges Vernay

Product: 20138110282
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2013 Fleurs de Mai, Vin de Pays, Domaine Georges Vernay

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Description

Baudelaire, we feel, would have approved of this evocatively named cuvée, the volumes of which have been radically cut in this late picked vintage. Sourced from steep vines just outside the lieu-dit of Tupins, on the southern frontier of Côte Rôtie,  Les Fleurs de Mai  is aged in tank only and delights in forward red-berry fruit flavours, aromatics of fresh raspberries and roses and a fresh generous texture which finishes with an eloquent flourish. 

When I started buying Rhône wines a decade ago, there was one name, above all others, which commanded universal respect and adulation amongst producers and that was the name of Georges Vernay, known affectionately as Le Pape de Condrieu for his almost single –handed feat of rescuing this magnificent appellation from obsolescence. Indeed it became clear that not mentioning Domaine Georges Vernay when in the region could be like going to Jerusalem and not visiting the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, in other words a terrible mistake. Imagine our delight when the House agreed to work directly with Berry Bros and Rudd.

Today managed with brio by George’s daughter Christine and her husband Paul Ansellem, the domaine covers 10ha of Appellation Contrôlée vineyards and a similar area of Vin de Pays, in this case vineyards literally just outside the relevant AOC boundaries. 
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

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About this WINE

Domaine Georges Vernay

Domaine Georges Vernay

Seeking to secure great wines from leading producers is not always an easy task, simply because the volumes are scarce and they are on everyone’s most wanted list. Domaine Georges Vernay is no exception.

Under Georges Vernay’s management, the domaine has contributed so much to keep Condrieu on the map, especially during the 1960s’ when the appellation covered only 8 hectares, that talking of Condrieu and not mentioning Domaine Georges Vernay could be like going to Jerusalem and not visiting the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, in other words a terrible mistake.

Today managed with brio by George’s daughter Christine and her husband Paul Ansellem, the domaine covers 8 Ha in Condrieu, making them one of the top three owners; 2.5 ha in Côte-Rôtie and 1.5 Ha in the Saint-Joseph appellations.

In Condrieu, three cuvees are made from vineyards situated in Condrieu, the heart of the appellation, on south to southeast facing steep slopes, and all express the purest; most restrained expression of  the Viognier grape.

From top to bottom: Côteau de Vernon, created in 1940 by Christine’s grand-father Francis, is the reference amongst all Condrieu: 60 years old vines on decomposed granite locally called “gore”, is a wine of great personality and definition and has on numerous occasion shown a surprising ability to age;

Chaillées de l’Enfer, made from 50 years old vines. Chaillées is the local name for small terraces which are so steep that working here is particularly arduous. This is an early ripening site and yields a wine which has more opulence, richness than the former; Terrasses de l’Empire, made from 40 years old vines is a great introduction to Condrieu, offering early approachability.

Côte-Rôtie is represented by two cuvees: Maison Rouge, a pure Syrah whose name refers to the small red house located at the feet of this impressively steep lieu-dit made of granite-rich soil and Blonde du Seigneur, a Syrah-Viognier blend which combines richness of flavours and a floral aspect. 

The Vins de Pays des Collines Rhodanienne's range represented by Le Pied de Samson (Viognier); Fleurs de Mai and Mirebaudy (Syrah cuvees) is really worth the discovery and constitute an ideal first step in your approach and exploration of this great domaine.

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Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes

Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes

Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes is a sub-division of the broader regional appellation of Vin de Pays des Comtés Rhodaniens  and encompasses wines produced in the Rhone valley.

Yves Cuilleron and Domaine Vins de Vienne (the Yves Cuilleron - Pierre Gaillard & François Villard joint venture) are the star performers in this Vin de Pays appellation, offering red and white wines from Syrah and Viogner.  The wines are distinctly modern-styled yet filled with terroir character and show depth of fruit and powerful structure.

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Syrah/Shiraz

Syrah/Shiraz

A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries.

It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness.

South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.

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