Vidal-Fleury Cotes du Rhone Red 2020 (750ml)

Founded in 1781, Vidal-Fleury not only is the Rhône’s oldest continuing grower/négociant firm, but it also secured an international following very quickly.  Thomas Jefferson’s visit in 1787 was its first contact with the United States; he called the wines “justly celebrated”.

 

The elaboration of Vidal-Fleury’s wines consists of four separate operations – the vineyard, winemaking, ageing and bottling.  The superb origins of the grapes and the patience taken in maturing are what make the quality of Vidal-Fleury wines according to Winemaker Guy Sarton du Jonchay.

 

Rated 89 Points by Jeb Dunnuck

 

Based on Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône is round and sweetly fruited, with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberries, spice, flowers, and garrigue.  It’s a sunny, textured, delicious red to enjoy over the coming 3-4 years.

 

Vidal-Fleury Cotes du Rhone Red 2020

 

Appellation:  Cotes du Rhône

 

Winemaker:  Guy Sarton du Jonchay

 

Sustainability:  Sustainable Practices

 

Soil:  Clay, Pebbles, Sand

 

Alcohol:  14.5%

 

Vidal-Fleury Cotes Du Rhone is a typical Southern Rhone wine, principally Grenache (65%) complemented by Syrah (20%), Mourvedre (10%) and Carignan (5%) from the Southern Rhone Valley.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appears dark and deep red with black reflections.  A nose dominated by Grenache which offers a beautiful aromatic palette of Morello cherries, chocolate, spices and violets.  Its well-structured palate evolves on a large scale and guarantees an explosion of aromas of cherry, spicy blackcurrant and rosemary with a toasted note. 

 

Food Pairing

 

Red and white meats, pizza, barbecue, pasta and cheese.

 

Terroir

 

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan grapes are grown in shallow soils made up primarily of clay, stones and sand.  Vineyards are primarily on hillsides with an average of 150-250 meters in elevation.

 

Winemaking

 

Grapes are hand and machine harvested and transported to the winery in small crates.  Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks with the maceration period lasting approximately two weeks.  Long traditional maceration:  2 weeks for Grenache and 3 weeks for Syrah and Mourvèdre.  In the beginning, a lot of load shedding.  Complete malolactic fermentation.  Natural clarification and stabilization by successive rackings and absence of fining.

 

Aging

 

The wine is aged on its lees with 70% in tank and 30% in large oak barrels.  The finished wine is lightly filtered and fined followed by a minimum of 3 months in bottle prior to release.

 

Côtes du Rhône Wine

 

Côtes du Rhône is a region wide appellation within the Rhône Valley in eastern France.  It applies to red, rosé and white wines, and includes more than 170 villages.

 

The zone follows the course of the Rhône River southwards for 125 miles (200km) from Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône to Avignon.  A small proportion of the appellation's wines are white.  However the classic Côtes du Rhône wine is a fruity, middleweight red blend based on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

 

The Côtes du Rhône appellation was introduced in November 1937.  Its purpose was to provide a catch-all title for good quality Rhône wines from the valley's lesser known and less prestigious viticultural areas.

 

It does not hold the prestige of the Rhône's more famous names (Châteauneuf, Cote Rotie, Hermitage).  However, the Côtes du Rhône title has risen to become one of France's most popular and famous. 

 

 

Vidal-Fleury

 

Founded in 1781, Vidal-Fleury is the Rhône Valley’s oldest continuing grower/négociant firm.  Thomas Jefferson’s visit in 1787 was its first contact with the United States; he called the wines “justly celebrated”.

 

During the 1890s, Gustave Vidal married a daughter of the Fleury family.  Thanks to her dowry, they replanted the vineyard following the phylloxera outbreak.  Then, in the 1920s, the House took an interest in other wine-growing regions throughout the Rhône Valley.

 

In 1984, Ets. Guigal acquired the company.  This step was a logical continuation for the Vidal-Fleury and Guigal families, who had always worked together.  Indeed, Etienne Guigal (Marcel’s father) was hired as a vine-grower and cellar master by Joseph Vidal-Fleury in 1924.  When the Vidal-Fleury family decided to sell the House, as none of its heirs felt like taking over the reins, it naturally turned to the Guigal family.  As result, the company remains family run.  Vidal-Fleury is managed in absolute independence with its own winemaking, logistics and commercial team.

 

In 2006 Vidal-Fleury began investing to modernize its winery facilities, installing state-of-the-art technology; in 2008, it built a new cellar specifically dedicated to maturing the wines.  In addition, Vidal-Fleury’s vineyards are overseen with 100% self-sustaining management practices.

 

Long considered one of the most respected producers in the Rhône Valley, Vidal-Fleury carries on under the watchful management of Head Winemaker Guy Sarton du Jonchay.