Domaine Rostaing 2021 'La Bonnette' Condrieu AOC

Item Number: 18104

UPC: None

Country: France
Region: Rhone
Sub Region: Northern Rhone
Appellation/AVA: Condrieu AOC
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2021
Grape(s): 100% Viognier
Type: Wine - White
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 14
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Soil Type: Granite
Case Production: 400

Vintage Notes by Decanter 2/2023: "For [Northern Rhône] white wine, 2021 is an exceptional, unmissable vintage in the Southern and Northern Rhône: one of great freshness, precision and longevity."

Viticulture Notes: Pierre Rostaing adapts his methods to the vintage. Viticulture is lutte raisonée, with no artificial fertilizers or herbicides employed. Grapes are harvested by hand, reds are not generally destemmed, and fermentation proceeds with indigenous yeast. Average yields are around 30hl/ha.

Winemaking Notes: La Bonnette comes from two plots of old vine Viognier: 0.6 ha Côte Bonnette and 0.4 ha Ste-Agathe. These tiny parcels yield some of the region's most refined Viognier. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation does not occur. It is bottled without fining or filtering. It has a lovely mineral character and great fruit definition, traits that often distinguish it from its peers. Only 400 cases made.

About the Estate:  René Rostaing launched this estate in 1971, but continued to split his time between wine and real estate for another 20 years. René inherited the vineyards from two of the appellation’s historical titans, his father-inlaw, Albert Dervieux and then his uncle, the legendary Marius Gentaz, between 1989 and 1992. From these two, he also learned to value the noble style of classic Côte-Rôtie.

Since 2015, the domaine has been managed by René’s son, Pierre. Along with Jamet, Rostaing may have the finest vineyard holdings in private hands in Côte-Rôtie. Pierre works over 7.5+ ha, in 14+ lieux-dits, including 1.6 ha in La Landonne, 1.2 ha in La Viallière, 1.0 ha in Côte Blonde, and 0.3 ha in Côte Brune. A majority of the vines were planted in the 1960s and 1970s, but some of the Viallière vines exceed 100 years old. In addition, he has a choice 1.0 ha in Condrieu, and works a 10 ha site in the Côteaux du Languedoc.