I introduced you to Chesebro wines here: https://decantingmonterey.com/chesebro-artisan-wines-lovingly-farmed-and-made-by-hand/. When I saw they had a Syrah and other wines on sale last month, I snapped up a few to try. I was not familiar with the La Mariposa Syrah and knew nothing about Côte-Rôtie wines. Time for a little research!
About Côte-Rôtie Wines (from Wikipedia*):
“Côte-Rôtie is a French wine Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The vineyards are located just south of Vienne in the communes of Saint-Cyr-sur-le-Rhône, Ampuis, and Tupin-et-Semons.[1] The vineyards are unique because of the steep slopes facing the river and their stone walls. Côte-Rôtie can be rendered in English as “the roasted slope” and refers to the long hours of sunlight that these steep slopes receive.[2]
“The wines are red, made with Syrah grapes and up to 20% Viognier, a white grape used for its aroma. According to appellation rules, Syrah and Viognier must be fermented at the same time, a process known as cofermentation. Because of this combination, Côte-Rôtie wine typically exhibits an almost paradoxical pairing of meat aromas (including bacon) and floral aromas. [2]”
Chesebro 2014 La Mariposa, Cedar Lane Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, 12.4% ABV, $30 ($22.50 sale price) (#163**)
Winemaker’s Notes: “This cofermented blend of Syrah (95%) and Viognier (5%) is inspired by the dense but vibrant wines of Cote Rotie in the northern Rhone Valley. The tannic structure of the cool climate Syrah is focused by the Viognier which also elevates the aromatics. Profound aromatics, deep color and a long finish. Not for the faint at heart but still elegant. Only 79 cases produced.” grapelive rated this wine 91 points.
My Review: Beautiful dense ruby red in color. Robust dark fruit on the nose. Big palate, more like an Old World Côtes du Rhône, meaty and tobacco. Surprisingly low alcohol, yet slightly port-like. The cofermenttion with the Viogner differentiates it from most Monterey County Syrahs. September 2020
Buying Chesebro Wines: This wine, normally $30, is currently on sale for $22.50 at the Winemaker’s Notes link above in very limited quantities. Updated information on its tasting room hours and reservation link is here. They are open Thursday through Sunday from noon until 6:00 PM by reservation. Chesebro has curbside pickup and has always been great about shipping wines to the East Coast for me.
*Primary sources used by Wikipedia for this excerpt: 1. Inter Rhône: Côte-Rôtie Retrieved 19 January 2010 2. E. McCarthy & M. Ewing-Mulligan “French Wine for Dummies” pg 127-128 Wiley Publishing 2001 ISBN 0-7645-5354-2
**Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
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