Vidal-Fleury, Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge 2021
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Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge 2021, Vidal-Fleury
Rhône Valley, France
Grape Variety: Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre
Alcohol: 14.5% 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 wine comes from vines grown on the right bank of the Rhône, in the southeastern Ardèche region. These soils, which overlook the river, are clayey, made up of stony alluvium with Rhone pebbles and loess. The climate is Mediterranean, influenced by the Mistral wind.
Vinification using destemmed harvests, alcoholic fermentation under controlled temperature, three to four weeks of vatting depending on the grape variety. Aged for one year on lees in stainless steel vats for 70% of the vintage, in tuns for 20% of the vintage and in oak barrels for 10%.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is marked by intense aromas of candied red fruits, black pepper, and thyme.
A round palate with a present and balanced tannic structure. The finish is long with notes of cherries.
Cellaring & Service
Cellaring Potential: 5 years
Serving Temperature: 18°C
Allergens: This wine contains sulphites