Maison Stephan "Syrah" Vin de France, Rhône Valley, France 2023

FROM PARIS WINE COMPANY:

THE WINE: With the arrival of the next generation, Jean Michel decided to plant an additional 5 hectares of vines outside of the Côte-Rotie appellation together with his son Romain. They chose to plant a mix of the traditional grapes: Syrah, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier. There are five different vineyards in five different nearby villages - between Chasse-sur-Rhône and Roussillon. The Vin de France wines are all vinified sans soufre in tank with the same natural winemaking philosophy as the Côte-Rôtie, yet released in the spring after six months of aging.

THE PRODUCER: Having vinified over 30 vintages of Côte-Rôtie, Jean-Michel Stephan is one of the true masters of natural winemaking in the Northern Rhône. His wines have a vivacious purity that make them instantly identifiable, marked by a balance of energy and transcendence that comes from a lifetime pursuit of his vision to craft flawless wines with absolutely no additives. The domaine farms five hectares of Côte-Rôtie spread between three different parcels: Côteaux de Bassenon, Côteaux de Tupin, and a tiny plot in Côte Brune. Each parcel is vinified separately using carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration depending on the vintage, without the addition of any yeast, enzymes, or SO2. Les Binards comes from the lower part of Tupin and is aged for 12 months in stainless steel tanks. The other three cuvées are all aged in barrel for 12-24 months.