Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin A Leader in Authentic Côte-Rotie Wines
Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin is a family-owned winery located in the heart of Côte-Rotie in France’s iconic Rhône Valley, near the village of Ampuis. The Gerin family has lived in Ampuis for six generations, with many members dedicated to grape growing. In 1983, Jean-Michel Gerin took this tradition a step further by establishing his eponymous winery and becoming the first in the family to make wine. Today, he’s joined by his sons Alexis and Michaël (Michaël also founded and served as president of the Côte-Rôtie Producers Association).
Jean-Michel sources much of his fruit from family-owned vineyards dating back to his grandfather’s time. However, he’s also purchased prime-sited parcels of land along the way. In 1988, he bought one of his first vineyards, located in Les Grandes Places — a famed 1.4-hectare / 3.4-acre lieu-dit with 50- to 80-year-old vines, many of which were planted by Jean-Michel’s grandfather. The estate’s vineyard holdings total roughly 17 hectares / 42 acres in the Côte-Rotie AOC, along with two hectares / five acres in the Condrieu appellation and smaller plots across the Northern Rhône Valley.
The Gerin family takes their responsibility to their beautiful homeland seriously. They’ve practiced sustainable viticulture in their vineyards for decades, achieving official HVE certification in 2019. And as of 2020, they have started converting all the vineyards to fully organic viticulture. Their passion for the land extends into the estate’s signature winemaking style. Jean-Michel, Michaël, and Alexis have surgically adapted each lieu-dit to specific fermentation vessels and aging regimens, ensuring that each wine offers an opulent, pure expression of its unique terroir.
Given the care and attention lavished on them, it should come as no surprise that the estate’s Côte-Rotie AOC wines regularly win 90+ point ratings from the likes of Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Vinous, and James Suckling. Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin was also named 2021’s “Best Northern Rhône Producer” by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
In just a few decades, Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin has become a leader in Côte-Rotie and the wider Northern Rhône Valley. With the Gerin family’s passion and dedication, the estate will continue to set the standard for outstanding Northern Rhône wines for many more decades to come.
Terroir
Located just south of Lyon, Côte-Rotie is the northernmost appellation of France’s famous Rhône Valley. Côte-Rotie benefits from a warm continental climate and the influence of the nearby Mediterranean, which creates a beautiful microclimate with hot summers that allow grapes to ripen fully. The region’s signature feature is its dramatic hillsides which, at 60% gradient, are some of the steepest in Europe for viticulture. Vineyards grow on terraces at roughly 200 to 300 meters / 650 to 1,000 feet above sea level, in granitic and limestone soils. The hills position vines to receive ample sunshine for ripening and cool breezes that preserve freshness, while the soils encourage the fruit to gain concentration and complexity. Thanks to these conditions, Côte-Rotie AOC wines are tannic, powerful, silky, and elegant.
Viticulture
Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin cultivates roughly 17 hectares / 42 acres in the Côte-Rotie AOC, along with two hectares / five acres in the Condrieu appellation and smaller plots across the Northern Rhône Valley. The Gerin family’s single-vineyard plots in Côte-Rotie include La Landonne, La Viallière, Côte-Bodin, and the prized Les Grandes Places, which has 50- to 80-year-old vines, some of which were planted by Jean-Michel’s grandfather. They farm syrah and viognier, the regions’ signature grape varieties, and harvest all the fruit by hand.
As proud caretakers of these special vineyards, the Gerin family has used sustainable viticulture practices for decades. However, they were officially HVE certified in 2019, and they began the arduous, but crucial, process of converting their vineyards to fully organic viticulture in 2020. Over time, the family has made significant improvements to their vineyards, such as rebuilding the steep terraces, updating drainage systems, and replanting with higher-quality vines. These improvements ensure their vineyards provide them with the best possible fruit, year after year.
An Individualized Winemaking Approach
Jean-Michel, Michaël, and Alexis have a purist winemaking style. While many Côte-Rotie producers uniformly age their wines in 100% new French oak barrels, the Gerin family uses an individualized approach. They have surgically adapted each lieu-dit to specific fermentation vessels and aging regimens. Likewise, the family crafts its white wines in a separate cellar, with cooler conditions suited to preserving their elegance. These efforts ensure that each wine offers an opulent, pure expression of its unique terroir.
