Syrah on Roasted Slopes

If you are in Lyon, France near Southern Rhone, you simply cannot miss visiting Cote-Rotie which literally means “roasted slopes” and this is where Syrah grapes are best known. Only 25 mins drive south from Lyon, Cote-Rotie is known for making great wines from Syrah and Viognier grapes. While I may not be a huge fan of Syrah yet, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to explore this region while being out there so here we are!

We booked a group wine tour from Viator, met our tour guide at La Place Bellecour early morning. Thankfully it was a small group of 4 people and off we went. Driving up into Cote-Rotie, we pass the local village. While it may not seem so impressive at first, the view from the top was simply breathtaking and incredible. A great way for us to kick off a day of wine tasting.

Since this was middle of fall (late Sep-early Oct) when we visited, most of the grape harvest is already over but in a clear beautiful fall day like this, the view of grape vines clinging onto steep cliffs was simply jaw-opening. Again, this area may not seem significantly large by any means but I can see the beauty of its existence and cannot wait to try the wines from this region. if you do come visit, I would highly recommend this drive up the hill to view and immerse yourself in the beauty of it all. It is simply part of the experience!

Domaine Corps de Loup Tasting

For the first tasting, we were brought to family estate called Domain Corps de Loup. It was a very quaint old house sitting on the top of the hill surrounded by a forest of trees. It seem remote but it was really nice and quiet here. From the outside, it almost looked like a regular home, and did not appear to be like a winery most definitely nothing like the ones we see in Napa. We were promptly greeted by a young gentleman, our host with a funny American accent when he tries to make a Johnny Deep impression, quite an entertaining character.

Walking through the cellar, our host explained the harvest and wine making process here at the estate. Using only indigenous yeasts to showcase the authenticity of the grapes produced in this region reflective of their terroir, the winemakers here strive only for excellence. The aromas of oak barrels and fermented wines perpetuated the room.

As for the wines, we tasted a Viognier which had a beautiful nose of white flowers, pear and peaches, and IGP syrah and two more mature Cote-Roties, one of which from an 80-year old vine (Paradis Cote-Rotie 2022) which presented a richer riper profile of plums and berries, tannins were still strong but could pair well with dark chocolate. If you are interested to read more about my wine reviews, check out my Vivino page here.

Commercial Wine Press

Being a home winemaker myself, I am always fascinated to see these larger scale wine presses used in the wine industry. Both of these are hydraulic basket presses, the one on the right is made of stainless steel while the one on the left uses food grade plastic staves with a more “traditional” look. It’s nice to actually see these things in person.

Maison Clusel-Roch Tasting

For the second tasting, we were brought to Maison Clusel-Roch. After a quick tour of the wine production facility, we sat down to taste their offerings of Viogniers and Cote-Roties. Personally I enjoyed the whites more so than the reds from this region. For this flight from Clusel-Roch, the Sur Le Mont was one of my favorites, a well-balanced fruit forward and refreshing white wine perfect for the summer. The Cote-Roties I am still not a huge fan of at the moment, perhaps with the right meal or pairing it would go very well but still difficult for me to drink on its own.

All in all, our first visit to Cote-Rotie was a good experience. I enjoyed both tastings as it really opened up my palate to explore different styles of wine and I now know more about this region. Its close proximity to Lyon also makes it easily accessible. But if you are like us who don’t want to fuss with driving through traffic and just enjoy the wines here, booking a group wine tour might just be the way to go. Cheers!