LOUIS CHÈZE
Northern Rhône Valley
Marsanne
Vine de Pays
100% Marsanne
Deep flavors with notes of pear, white peach, and melon, supported by floral notes, roasted nuts, honey, and spice. A firm but creamy texture that maintains good acidity and structure throughout the pallet and finish.
Points of Interest
Typically a blending grape, this is a superb example of Marsanne as a monovarietal wine. Native yeast fermentation in wood followed by 100% Malolactic conversion with some batonnage. Aged in neutral oak barrels, some barrique, but mostly 5,000-liter wooden vats for 8-10 months.
“Brèze”
Condrieu AOC
100% Viognier
Complex aromas with many layers of apricot, pear, citrus, and exotic fruits followed by an array of secondary elements like toasted grains and nuts, spices, bergamot, and a waxy minerality. The pronounced texture is both clean and refreshing, concluded by a weighty finish combining dried honeyed notes and layers of minerality.
Points of Interest
Three stages of hand-sorting and selecting mean you get the very best fruit. Native yeast fermentation in wood followed by 100% Malolactic conversion. Aged for 10 months in 100% new French Barrique barrels from 10 carefully selected coopers for a balanced oak influence. Only 750 cases produced.
“Syrahvissante”
Vin de France AOC
100% Syrah
Beautiful aromatics of purple flowers and fruits, pepper, coffee and leather. An approachable medium bodied wine with a fruity and fresh palate and a dry, balanced finish. This is the perfect wine to get people excited about Syrah from Northern Rhone.
Points of Interest
Hand-picked in small crates, harvested slowly over 30 days, hand-sorted twice at the winery. Native yeast fermentation aged in a combination of neutral barrel and tank for 6 months. All estate fruit from young vines in St. Joseph and older parcels outside the designation between 35-40 years of age.
“Ro-Rée”
Saint-Joseph Rouge AOC
100% Syrah
Not a typical Syrah from other parts of the world, more elegant, with both red and dark fruits; blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry, followed by violet, nutmeg, forest floor, tobacco leaf, and pepper. A straightforward pallet followed by a beautiful texture with ripe fruits and a good length to the finish.
Points of Interest
Sourced from a single 5-hectare vineyard at the top of the hill in Limony. Three stages of hand-sorting and selecting mean you get the very best fruit. Aged in 2-year-old barrels for 12 months followed by a racking to steel tank for 2 months before bottling to allow for a natural filtration. For over 25 years, the estate has farmed with organic practices.
“Anges”
Saint-Joseph Rouge AOC
100% Syrah
Selecting only the best barrels, the wine presents great complexity with black fruits, spices, fine woody notes, and a smoked meat savoriness. A concentrated texture with harmonious tannins and balanced freshness leads to a long, persistent finish that is layered and nuanced.
Points of Interest
Only 500 cases produced in 2021, from old vines, 50–65-year-old, on the highest hill in Limony, the estate chooses only the best barrels from the 8-hectare vineyard. This is the best example of Saint-Joseph that Louis Chèze has to offer. A proud example of excellence, in the vineyard and in the winery.
“Belissima”
Côte-Rôtie AOC
100% Syrah
The name “Belissima” is a testament to the beauty and elegance of the wines of Côte-Rôtie. If you like Burgundy, Côte- Rôtie the Syrah for you. With a nose of great complexity, with red fruits, sweet spices and fine woody notes, a delicate palate with noticeable tannins and a persistent finish.
Points of Interest
From less than one hectare in Le Truchet with 45-year-old vines, between the famous Lieu-dits of Cote Blonde and Brune. Three stages of hand-sorting and native yeast fermentation, aged in 2-4-year-old barrels for up to 14 months. Hand-harvested, only 800 cases produced.
Cornas
Cornas AOC
100% Syrah
A complex aromatic range of spices, black pepper and clove, blackcurrant and blackberries, accented by savory notes of wood, grilled herbs, and forest floor. The palate is dense and full-bodied with modern, refined tannins and a classic northern Rhône character.
Points of Interest
Sourced from the northern part of the appellation of Cornas near Châteaubourg, on step hills facing southeast with a touch of clay and limestone with granite. Very low yields from high-density plantings add great concentration. Aged for 14 months in neutral barrels, hand-harvested, 300 cases produced.