Les Eguets Condrieu

Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin is a family owned winery located in the heart of Côte Rôtie, near the village of Ampuis in the Rhône Valley. Hailing from a family of grape growers, Jean Michel established his eponymous winery in 1983, the first in his family to make wine. While he sources much of his fruit from family owned vineyards dating back to his grandfather’s time, he has also purchased land along the way, buying his first vineyard in the famed ‘Les Grandes Places’ in 1988, followed by a second purchase in ‘La Landonne.’ Today, the estate covers a little more than 30 acres in the Côte Rôtie appellation and much smaller plots in Condrieu and the northern Rhône, which Jean-Michel farms alongside his two sons, Michäel and Alexis.

Condrieu totals 2 ha (encompasses Les Eguets and other holdings). Les Eguets is a single vineyard that was acquired in 2010 from producer Yves Cuilleron, who swapped some land in this prestigious vineyard for some of JM Gerin’s prized La Vialliere Côte-Rôtie. 12-year-old vines, producing 35hl/ ha. South facing terraces composed of mostly granitic soil.

Fermentation in stainless steel, followed by ageing for 12 months in demi muids (600L oak barrels, 20% new). Gerin uses native yeasts for all their wines.

Rich golden color. Powerful perfume and heady notes of jasmin flowers mingling with apricot blossom and honeycomb. The texture is highly viscous to the point of being almost oily. Unctuous and full bodied on the palate. Explosion of compote of citrus and apricot fruit quickly followed by some granitic minerality.