If the subject is Syrah—its greatest terroirs, its best producers—the name Rostaing is sure to come up. René Rostaing began tending some family vineyards in Côte-Rôtie in the early 1970s, then catapulted to prominence in the 1990s, when he inherited prime parcels from two legends of the appellation: Marius Gentaz (his uncle/mentor) and Albert Dervieux (his father-in-law). As Rostaing’s Côte-Rôties achieved cult status, he and his wife purchased a property further south in the Coteaux du Languedoc, which offered the opportunity to create a different expression of Syrah—one grown in limestone soils, in a Mediterranean climate, and leavened with some Mourvèdre and Grenache. “Le Vassal” is a bold and soulful Syrah, a departure from the more chiseled style of Côte-Rôtie, but no less pedigreed. It’s also an amazing value from the treasure trove that is the Languedoc.
The idolization of René Rostaing’s wines begins in the 1990s with the inheritance of truly impeccable, cult-status raw material from Marius Gentaz and Albert Dervieux (only the most avid collectors have stumbled upon old cuvées from Gentaz-Dervieux; vintages like ’91 are about as expensive, cherished, and unicorn-rare as Syrah comes). As you can imagine, René had an immense torch to bear when these prized vines were passed down to him three decades ago. In that time, Domaine Rostaing has risen to an immortalized state of prominence and perfection. But this wasn’t always the case: In 1971 René Rostaing began farming the steep terraces of Côte-Rôtie on a garden-sized scale. Because he could not afford to quit his day job, René would race to his “second home” after work and devote most of his weekend hours to tending vine. During this nascent stage, he was also quietly learning how to produce the most classical, soulfully traditional styles of Syrah under the tutelage of his uncle Marius Gentaz, among the most beloved cult figures in Côte-Rôtie’s rich history.
Today the Rostaing operation is headed up by Pierre Rostaing, René’s son, who took the reins in 2015. In addition to the estate’s sought-after Côte-Rôtie wines (including vineyard-designate bottlings from revered sites like “La Landonne”), Rostaing crafts “Le Vassal” using many of the same techniques, including the incorporation of whole grape clusters during fermentations that typically include a lengthy period of skin maceration. Sourced entirely from Rostaing’s Puech Noble estate in Languedoc, “Le Vassal” is largely based on Syrah with small splashes of Mourvèdre and Grenache. Some of the grapes ferment on their stems—as the Rostaings maintain it boosts perfume and texture—and maturation occurs in a mixture of mostly used French barrels and larger demi-muids.
Since Pierre treats his value-driven Puech Noble wines with the same meticulous care and attention as his blue-chip Côte-Rôtie, you should too! Serve at cellar temperature after a good 30 plus minute decant to wake up all the brooding aromatics. This powerful red fills a Bordeaux stem with a deep and vibrant dark purple before quickly directing your senses to its intoxicating nose: charred violets, candied rose, licorice, cracked pepper, garrigue, cacao, black raspberry liqueur, kirsch, spiced plum, hot stone. The palate is full-bodied, not unlike a young Côte-Rôtie but more primary and fruit-forward, all while gliding across with grace and freshness. Any robust, gamey and spicy meal will serve as a perfect complement to this soulful wine, but don’t be afraid to crack a bottle on a Tuesday with some pizza or cheeseburgers too!
