This wine is a blend of grapes grown on various plots; all of them facing south. The Cornas wines have been invariably famous since the 10th century. They were served to kings, both in France and elsewhere. AOC status and improved quality have enabled the vineyard to regain its reputation. Aging lasts between 12 to 14 months in oak barrels. Regular racking brings enough oxygen to allow the tannins optimum maturing. The colour is an intense garnet red. In its youth, this wine has strong blackcurrant aromas. With time, the fruit aromas gradually fade, giving the way to hints of pepper and liquorice. The palate is structured and has the strongly-defined flavours that are typical from this "terroir".
This cuvée is a blend of grapes coming from the Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde. It's one of the oldest vineyards in France, first developed by the Romans. It is said that during the Middle Ages, "The Seigneur de Maugiron" bequeathed a hillside to each of his two daughters, one was brunette and the other fair. Thus, were born the names of "Côte Brune" and "Côte Blonde". The wine is aged for 14 to 16 months in new or one year old oak casks. The barrels are topped up regularly. The colour is deep crimson. The powerful yet subtle nose of Côte-Rôtie "Seigneur de Maugiron" has blackcurrant, redcurrant, liquorice and smoky aromas, underscored with light woody notes. The palate shows a tightly-knit tannic framework. The wine is well-balanced with a silky texture. It combines fine concentration with great delicacy.
This wine is made exclusively from the "Les Grandes Vignes" plot situated at the peak of the Hermitage hillside at around 325 m altitude. This primarily south-facing plot forms an amphitheatre of semicircular vine terraces. In the very best years, production is limited to 1,800 to 2,000 bottles. This wine is made exclusively from the Syrah varietal. The wine is de-vatted before being racked and transferred to the barrels. The malolactic fermentation takes place in the barrel and is followed by 20 months of closely-monitored ageing. To ensure that the wine retains its character, finesse and subtlety, only wood with a fine and extra-fine grain is selected for the barrels. For the same reasons, the percentage of new oak is kept to no more than 30 or 40%.
