Vidal-Fleury, Hermitage Rouge 2022
Tax included
Only 4 in stock
Hermitage Rouge 2022, Vidal-Fleury
Rhône Valley, France
Grape Variety: Syrah
Alcohol: 13% ABV
The Story
It was in 1781, in the small commune of Tupin-et-Semons, south of Lyon and within the most prestigious vineyard of the Rhône, that Joseph Vidal founded the Maison of the same name. From the outset, it acquired an international reputation thanks, in particular, to trade with America. Thomas Jefferson, then United States ambassador to France, visited the estate in 1787.
In the 1890s, Gustave Vidal married a Miss Fleury, and Maison Vidal became Maison Vidal-Fleury. This wedding came at just the right time, as the bride's dowry enabled the vineyard, which had just suffered the devastating attacks of phylloxera, to be replanted.
A period of disappointments followed, such as two wars, a lack of skilled labor, market gardening... We thought the vineyard was in agony, but that was without counting on a handful of stubborn men, and above all wine lovers, who would revive the vineyard. With the strength of their tenacity and their arms, they restored the vines and gradually restored their nobility. And this is how Maison Vidal-Fleury became, in the middle of the 20th century, the emblematic Maison of Côte Rôtie.
In 1984, it became the property of the Guigal family: this was the logical next step for these two families, Vidal-Fleury and Guigal, who had always worked together in the wine industry. Indeed, in 1924, Joseph Vidal-Fleury had hired Etienne Guigal, Marcel's father, as winemaker and cellar master. When the Vidal-Fleury family decided to sell, having no heirs wishing to run the House, they naturally turned to the Guigal family... The family story continues.
Vidaly-Fleury, however, retains its full autonomy. In 2008, the House took a new step and invested in new 9,000m² cellars to optimize the maturation, packaging, and aging of the wines in bottles.
Today, Maison Vidal-Fleury has no fewer than 19 of the most prestigious appellations in the Rhône Valley.
Vineyard & Winemaking
The 2022 vintage experienced a fairly mild and dry winter, with warmth arriving early in the Rhône Valley, giving the vines good growth in the spring. The summer was markedly dry, and some well-placed rains in mid-August provided the water needed to produce high-quality grapes, bursting with sugar and aromas.
This wine comes from vines grown in the central area of the appellation (Rocoules and Les Diognières), with clay soil, and a small part in the western area of the appellation (Les Bessards), whose soils are granitic and very steep. The climate is semi-continental, the meander of the Rhône at the foot of the Hermitage hill gives the latter a full southern, sunny exposure.
Vinification using destemmed harvests, alcoholic fermentation under controlled temperature, two to three weeks of vatting including a few days of hot post-fermentation maceration. Aged for a year and a half in demi-muids, 50% of which are new wood.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is marked by aromas of raspberry, blackberry, and spices. A rich palate which is silky with a present and melted tannic structure. The finish is long and sweet with subtle woody notes, and hints of graphite and minerality that give it excellent freshness.
Cellaring & Service
Cellaring Potential: 15-20 years
Serving Temperature: 18°C
Allergens: This wine contains sulphites