Domaine Rostaing

The Domaine René Rostaing is considered by international critics to be among the best in the Côte Rôtie. Its wines have been receiving high scores from the main guides and magazines for years, for their ability to interpret the terroir in an authentic way. It is a small company that works in an artisanal way, following the traditions of this small area, famous among enthusiasts for being the cradle of syrah. This fascinating French grape variety, the result of a spontaneous cross between two grapes from central Europe, the mondeuse blanc and the dureza, gives wines of remarkable structure, rich and fruity, with dense tannins, moderate acidity and elegant spicy notes, reminiscent in particular of black pepper.

The Rhone region is the oldest area of French viticulture. Since the foundation of Marseilles by the Phocians, vine cultivation then spread inland up the Rhône valley. The area south of Vienne, an ancient settlement of the Celtic Allobroges, later to become Colonia Julia Viennensis after the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar, was already renowned for the excellence of its wines. The territory corresponds to that of today's AOC Côte Rôtie, the northernmost AOC of the Rhone Valley, which currently produces only 6% of the region's wines, but of an absolutely exceptional level. The Rhone Valley is a very ancient territory. The deep cleft was created by the collision of the Massif Central and the chain of the Alps. The Mediterranean Sea filled it for millennia, until it receded, leaving ancient rocks of volcanic origin to the north and marine limestone and sandstone deposits mixed with alluvial deposits of pebbles and sands further south.

The climate is mild and sunny, but always cooled by the Mistral, which blows from the north. The soils are stony and poor composed of schists and mica schists with varying mineral content. The vines are located at an altitude between 200 and 325 metres and are cultivated on steep terraces with dry stone walls that cut into the steep slopes. It is a difficult viticulture, which has to be carried out manually, also due to the presence of old vines planted with bush-trained vines. René Rostaing has been in charge of the family estate for more than 40 years and, taking advantage of the low prices in the 1970s, he expanded the property with some valuable plots located in Côte Blonde, in the famous cru of La Landonne, and later with other old vineyards of particular value. Since 2015, René has passed the baton to his son Pierre, who carries on the project faithful to family traditions.