Maison Stephan Cote-Rotie Coteaux de Tupin 2022

Country: France

Region: Rhône

Type: Red Wine

Grape: 100% Serine

Over the last decade, Jean-Michel Stephan, a resolutely organic/biodynamic domaine producing top-quality wines, has developed a true cult following among natural wine enthusiasts. Today, Stephan farms 4.5 hectares of vines, plus another five outside the appellation. While his wines (made with as little sulfur as possible and often with some carbonic maceration) still lean to the wild side, they are now far less feral than they were in the past.

The Côteaux de Tupin is a Côte Rôtie made from 100% Serine. This grape variety was considered almost extinct, but is closely related to Syrah and Dureza. Winemaker Stephan discovered it in a vineyard he acquired in Tupin in 1991, the oldest of whose plants date back to 1893. The 0.5 hectares from which the Coteaux de Tupin comes were planted partly in 1941, partly in 1993. The vines are planted on steep slopes on leuco-gneiss. The yield is extremely low, between 15 and 20 hl/ha. The wines are produced according to Jules Chauvet’s principles after a cool 24-hour pre-fermentation with a cool carbonic maceration lasting 20 days. They are then aged for 24 months in used oak barrels from the Jupille forest. Unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulfur.

The Côte-Rôtie offers aromas of ripe cassis, blackberries, and black cherries, elderberries, and figs, along with hints of blood orange, olives, licorice, pepper, violets, and lilacs.

Enormously intense on the palate, elegant and juicy, and particularly refined in this vintage, with a sweet fruit core and plenty of dark, ripe fruit . The wine offers power, freshness, pure fruit, density, and vibrant minerality.