M. Chapoutier NEVE Rouge Côte-Rôtie 2017 (RP 97/100) 75cl

Harvest: Hand harvesting at maturity.

Soil: This wine comes from a hillside with a lovely south-southeast exposure in a lieu-dit known as Neve in the commune of Ampuis. The soil here is composed of schist and mica-schist, with some seams of ground soil in the mid-section of the hillside.

Vinification: The vinification takes place in rough concrete tanks. The harvested grapes are completely de-stemmed. Native yeasts are used for the alcoholic fermentation. During the fermentation, the temperature is allowed to gradually rise to 30-32°C. The vatting period lasts from 4 to 5 weeks with regular pumping over operations carried out at the start of the maceration, followed by some cap punching. The maceration is completed by a stirring of the lees over the last 3 weeks. By tasting the wine in the tank each day, we are able to tailor our different operations to the wine and determine the best running-off date.

Ageing: The wines go into barrel “hot” after their running-off and 24-48 hours sedimentation to eliminate any remaining solid matter and the coarsest lees. Ageing is carried out entirely in 228-litre barrels (pièces bourguignonnes), of which 25-30% are new. The wine is racked at the end of the winter. Ageing can last 14-18 months depending on the vintage and our tastings of the wine.

Grape variety: 100 % Syrah.

RATINGS:

Jancis Robinson - 17+/20
James Suckling - 94/100
Jeb Dunnuck - 95+/100
R. Parker - Wine Advocate - 97/100

Appearance: Very deep and black with satiny tints.
Nose: The first nose is dominated by notes of graphite and cold smoke, and then opens up to notes of bramble leaves and mixed berries.
Palate: Compact on entry, with chiselled tannins and notes of black pepper and roasting over a saline finish. Verticality and purity are the keywords here.


Sommelier's advice: Beef, game, all cheeses

Serving temperature: 18-19°C. 

Ageing potential: > 20 years