2012 Condrieu, Les Ravines, Domaine Robert et Rémi Niero
Critics reviews
Another domaine that has transitioned from father to son, these wines (formerly made by Robert Niero) are now made by the son Remi.
Drink 2013 - 2016
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate #210, Dec 2013
About this WINE
Domaine Robert Niero
Robert Niero spent 13 years working in a bank before marrying the late Jean Pinchon`s daughter and thus inheriting holdings in some of Condrieu's most illustrious vineyards. He made further purchases and now has just under 6 hectares of vineyards. .
The Syrah grape variety, from which Côte Rôtie is made, is cultivated in the community of Ampuis in La Vallière (0.60ha) and Semons in Coteau de Bassenon (1.20ha).
Since 1994 Robert has vinified separately the Viogner grapes from his holdings in the Coteau de Chery and La Roncharde vineyards (the latter goes into Condrieu Les Ravines). The average vine age in the Coteau de Chery is high (30-50 years old) and the wines are powerful, well-structured and often exotically rich.
His son Rémi joined the domain in 2004.
Viognier
A white grape variety originating in the Northern Rhône and which in the last ten years has been increasingly planted in the Southern Rhône and the Languedoc.
It is a poor-yielding grape that is notoriously fickle to grow, being susceptible to a whole gamut of pests and diseases. Crucially it must be picked at optimum ripeness - if harvested too early and under-ripe the resulting wine can be thin, dilute and unbalanced, while if picked too late then the wine will lack the grape's distinctive peach and honeysuckle aroma. It is most successfully grown in the tiny appellations of Château-Grillet and Condrieu where it thrives on the distinctive arzelle granite-rich soils. It is also grown in Côte Rôtie where it lends aromatic richness to the wines when blended with Syrah.
Viognier has been on the charge in the Southern Rhône and the Languedoc throughout the 1990s and is now a key component of many white Côtes du Rhône. In Languedoc and Rousillon it is increasingly being bottled unblended and with notable success with richly fragrant wines redolent of overripe apricots and peaches and selling at a fraction of the price of their Northern Rhône cousins.
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Description
The Ravines is a brand name for an assemblage of plots in La Roncharde, Chatillon, La Caille and Corbéry., all in the eponymous commune behind the town itself. It has been matured for 12 months, 40% in oak. A nose of poached pear and spring blossom is followed by a rich honied palate of apricots and cream.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
Rémi is now fully in charge, with Robert now retired, although, as so often, retirement does not seem to preclude almost daily visits to the winery. Old habits die hard... In any event, new livery and, to my mind, even more attention to detail in the vineyards, both underline the quality in this famous old property
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