Domaine Clusel-Roch is on the super-short list of Northern Rhône producers who consistently deliver some of the most gorgeously aromatic, cellar-worthy Côte-Rôties imaginable. As such, any admirer of French wine has had a Clusel-Roch label prominently displayed in their collection at one time or another. So how has this microscopic domaine become such a sought-after global sensation? Well, it didn’t happen overnight.
Farming has been a part of their history for generations and they’ve been doing it organically since the 1990s—a time when few others were. Further, with such a small amount of land in Côte-Rôtie, they’ve mastered their world-famous terroir and extracted every nuanced complexity by way of minimalist winemaking and extra-long barrel aging. Their wines are old-school to the max with a wonderful dose of polish and depth—it’s a ‘Grand Cru’ wine in our book. Compare all these factors to the still-affordable price and that’s why the wine world reaches a state of frenzy upon each release. Although Clusel-Roch only crafts a few dozen barrels of “Les Schistes,” it accounts for a shocking 80% of their total Côte-Rôtie production! Accordingly, we probably don’t have to tell you that our quantities are extremely limited. Hurry up and take your six, then slow down while enjoying them because “Les Schistes” will age for decades to come!
Clusel-Roch is currently run by third- and fourth-generation proprietors Gilbert and Guillaume Clusel. The groundwork for the domaine was laid by Gilbert’s grandfather in the 1930s, when he planted a smattering of vines on a steep hillside in the northernmost Côte-Rôtie town of Vérenay. These old vines are located in what is now famously known as “Les Grandes Places.” It wasn’t until 1969, however, that the first wine was bottled at the estate—but it took time to gain traction in the market. Côte-Rôtie didn’t catch the public eye until Guigal began releasing some gorgeous expressions in the 1980s and, at the time, Clusel-Roch simply didn’t have the production numbers that would allow them to become international superstars.
Today, Clusel-Roch commands a cult-like status, but they are still very much a small operation—they farm just five hectares in Côte-Rôtie. “Les Schistes” hails from three different family-owned lieux-dits totaling four hectares, all of which are mature Syrah vines that were grafted from the best plantings in “Les Grandes Places.” The Syrah in the bottle isn’t “just any Syrah” either: Locally known as Sérine, it’s a low-yielding clone that the family has used since the beginning. These mature vines (up to 60 years old) result in a small yet powerfully complex crop—you’ll feel the difference on the nose and palate.
Throughout the growing season, everything is done manually because (a) they believe in natural farming and (b) the hair-raising topography just won’t allow for machinery. Letting grass grow between the rows, spreading composted manure, manually harvesting with the smallest of containers; it’s about as hands-on as farming gets. In the winery, the grapes ferment partially ‘whole cluster’ without any lab-tailoring—only natural, airborne yeasts here. The wine then ages in 228-liter French barrels, 15% of which are new, for two whopping years. Because the wine is racked several times throughout the aging process, Gilbert and Guillaume believe there is no need to fine or filter their wines upon bottling.
Clusel-Roch’s 2016 “Les Schistes” is Côte-Rôtie to die for. It’s ultra-classic, savory, and intensely aromatic with slow, brooding power that will keep building with bottle age. Remember, it’s a young gun that is still building its arsenal, but it’s obvious to see how grand this bottle is right now. With a three-hour decant today, it erupts with intense blue and purple fruits, smoked meat, olive tapenade, wild herbs, a touch of black pepper, and dominating fresh flower blossoms—violets, most notably. Still, it’s filled to the brim with ripe, dark fruits: blackberries, plums, currants, black raspberry, huckleberry. Amazingly, this isn’t an overly tannic brute right now: Because of Clusel Roch’s expertise, a great vintage, and mature, top-performing vines, “Les Schistes” is a silky, beautifully layered beauty that has decades of aging potential. More elegant than opulent, it’s nearing medium-plus bodied and is bursting with supple fruit and intense crushed granite minerality. Serve in large Bordeaux stems around 60-65 degrees and match it with the attached smoked rosemary lamb recipe. This will be a standout over a cool summer night, but its stock will keep trending upward as it gains bottle age—trust us!
