M. Chapoutier : Coteau de Chéry 2025

Characteristics and tasting advice for Coteau de Chéry 2025 from M. Chapoutier

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a pale gold hue, bright and clear.

Nose

The nose, fine and elegant, opens with notes of citrus zest and yellow-fleshed fruits, enhanced by a touch of fresh apricot. With aeration, it gains in complexity, revealing delicate floral nuances of jasmine and bergamot.

Palate

The attack, soft and velvety, gives way to a flavorful palate with a noble, fleshy texture. Indulgent marmalade flavors mingle with fresh pineapple and verbena. The long, lingering finish expresses subtle notes of bitter orange, supported by refined, elegant bitterness.

The elegance and aromatic richness of a Condrieu white wine

The estate

Founded in 1808, the Maison M. Chapoutier is a benchmark of the Rhône Valley. Committed to biodynamics since 1990 under the impetus of Michel Chapoutier, it stands out for its dedication to faithfully expressing terroir. The estate is also recognized for its inclusive approach, notably with the introduction of Braille on its labels as early as 1994. Today, the new generation carries on this legacy: Mathilde oversees commercial activities while Maxime Chapoutier leads the technical aspects and winemaking.

The vineyard

From the Condrieu appellation, this wine comes from a rare terroir covering less than 150 hectares. The vines, grown biodynamically, are planted on particularly steep terraced slopes requiring manual work. Benefiting from a south to southeast exposure that protects them from cold winds, they rest on complex soils combining schist and weathered granite, giving the grapes characteristic minerality and acidity.

The vintage

A vintage beginning with a rather mild and very rainy winter, building up good water reserves, followed by a prolonged cold period delaying bud break and reducing the risk of frost. Spring, alternating between rain and sunshine, led to strong vegetative growth and increased vine pressure, with early flowering but few clusters. The summer was marked by two heatwaves and a hail episode in Crozes-Hermitage, causing some losses. The harvest, early from mid-August, was spread out thanks to late August rains that refined ripeness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for this Condrieu are hand-harvested at perfect ripeness. After whole-cluster pressing, the must is clarified by cold static settling for 48 hours. Alcoholic fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures, partly in large wooden vessels (70%) and in stainless steel tanks (30%). Aging on lees lasts between 8 and 10 months, mainly in demi-muids that have held one or two wines (85%), complemented by a small proportion of new barrels (15%) in order to preserve the expression of the fruit.

Grape variety

This Coteau de Chéry 2025 from M. Chapoutier is made exclusively from viognier.