M. Chapoutier Condrieu Côteau De Chery 2011 1.5 Litre Magnum

M. Chapoutier Condrieu Côteau de Chery 2011 presented in a 1.5 Litre Magnum bottle.

M. Chapoutier Condrieu Côteau de Chery 2011

M. Chapoutier Condrieu Côteau de Chery 2011 is a single-vineyard Viognier from the steep, granitic slopes of Côteau de Chery in Condrieu (Northern Rhône, France). This was one of the earlier vintages in which Chapoutier produced it as a distinct cuvée (previously blended into others, such as Invitare, in some years). The 2011 vintage in the Northern Rhône was generally forward and fresh, with good minerality and balanced fruit rather than extreme power or ripeness.

Côteau de Chery Winemaking

• Grape variety: 100% Viognier
• Terroir: Grapes come from eroded granitic soils and mica-schists. The plot is south-facing
• Harvest: Grapes are hand-harvested in boxes
• Vinification: The whole bunches are pressed. Fermentation is carried out under controlled temperature (17°C) in casks with natural yeasts
• Maturing: Aged in 600 litre barrels for 8 months, then for 2 months in vats

Chapoutier’s Fac et Spera Sélection Parcellaire

This rare magnum bottling of the M. Chapoutier Condrieu Côteau De Chery 2011 is part of Chapoutier’s Fac et Spera Sélection Parcellaire range of wines, a range of specially selected parcels of single vineyard wines which Chapoutier describe as a “precise ‘photographic’ image of a terroir”, a snapshot of a grape, in a certain year, in a given terroir. Fac & Spera means “Do & Hope”.

Maison Chapoutier: A Rhone Icon

Maison Chapoutier has grown into one of the largest and most recognisable producers of Rhone wines. The company dates back to 1808 when Michel Chapoutier’s distant ancester Polydor Chapoutier, bought a parcel of vines in the Rhone Valley. Today, the Chapoutier has vineyards throughout the Rhone from Côte Rôtie in the north to Luberon in the south, as well as having overseas projects like Domaine Tournon in Victoria, Australia.

A Biodynamic Wine Pioneer

Michel is committed to making the best wines whilst respecting the environment. Chapoutier now owns the largest biodynamic vineyard in Europe. It is his personal conviction that “the complexity in a wine comes from the level of microbiological activity around the vine roots”. Soils on the Chapoutier estate never see pesticides or herbicides, floral growth amongst the vines is essential, and the natural cycles of earth, sun and moon are also considered.