Côte Rôtie La Porchette 2023 Julien Pilon

The Côte Rôtie La Porchette 2023 from Julien Pilon is the most personal and most ambitious red wine from the domaine, the one the vigneron himself affectionately calls his 'little Porsche': sleek, precise, nervous, racy, and capable of an acceleration on the palate that leaves a lasting impression. Rated 93/100 by La Revue du Vin de France on the 2020 vintage, La Porchette is one of the most convincing and most consistent Côte Rôties of the appellation, an incredibly aromatic, fine and well-balanced wine, drawn from two complementary terroirs and worked with an exigence that rivals the great historic houses of the vineyard.

The terroir and the vines

La Porchette takes its name from the eponymous lieu-dit located at Bassenon, on the commune of Tupin & Semons, at the southernmost point of the Côte Rôtie appellation. This granite and gneiss terroir, facing due south, concentrates remarkable heat and maturity, and gives birth to Syrahs of a generosity and roundness that form the heart of this cuvée. A second lot from the lieu-dit Rozier, at the northern edge of Ampuis, on a schist plateau, completes the blend: its schists bring the nerve, tension and freshness essential to the wine's balance, tempering with elegance the solar generosity of the granite from Bassenon. The vines, planted at the high density of 9,000 plants per hectare and trained on échalas, the individual wooden stakes typical of the vertiginous slopes of Côte Rôtie, impossible to mechanize, are harvested manually at perfect ripeness. Vinification is precise and controlled: one third of the cuvée is kept in whole bunches to preserve freshness and floral aromas, the rest is destemmed and crushed, then vinified in open stainless steel vats for three weeks with frequent pump-overs. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels, and ageing for 18 months in 225-litre barrels with 30% new oak brings complexity and structure without ever weighing down the wine.

Tasting profile

The colour is a deep and intense ruby-garnet, bright and luminous. The nose is of striking aromatic definition and purity from the very first instant: aromas of blackcurrant in all its exuberance, blackberry and ripe red fruits mingle with subtle notes of violet and peony, before the emblematic signatures of Côte Rôtie Syrah emerge, white pepper, smoke, black olive, a subtle touch of ink and liquorice that announces the wine's depth. The precisely calibrated ageing brings a fine, blonde wood patina, perfectly integrated. On the palate, the texture is silky and remarkably velvety, the tannins are fine, polished and of an elegance that recalls the finest granitic Syrahs of the right bank. The material is full, concentrated and of beautiful volume, carried by fresh, well-integrated acidity that brings the tension and length necessary for a great wine for ageing. The finish is long, racy and persistent, on smoky and spicy notes that linger with distinction. A wine already approachable with generous decanting, and promised to fine emotions over six to twelve years in the cellar.

The domaine

Julien Pilon is one of the most engaging and promising figures in the northern Rhône vineyard. Installed in Chavanay on the right bank of the Rhône, he makes his first vintages in 2010 in his parents' garage, without land or cellar. Owner of a few parcels in Côte Rôtie and Condrieu, he carefully selects and vinifies grapes from across the great appellations of the northern Rhône. Trained at Yves Cuilleron, at Mas Amiel in Roussillon, in Spain at Terra Remota, then with Pierre and Pascale Gaillard at Banyuls and finally with Pierre-Jean Villa in Chavanay, he has forged a personal, precise and recognizable style, acclaimed with a star by La Revue du Vin de France. His line of conduct is clear and constant: purity of fruit, finesse of ageing, and truth of terroir in every glass.

Food pairings

This Côte Rôtie La Porchette will pair beautifully with a fine piece of grilled beef with herbs, a roasted leg of lamb with garlic and thyme, a roasted veal rack with morels, roasted wild duck or roasted pork loin with milk and sweet spices, the latter pairing, as the vigneron himself notes with humour, having been welcomed with enthusiasm by a customer who served it to celebrate a birth. It will also find fine harmony with aged pressed-paste cheeses such as old Comté or alpine Beaufort. Decanting for one hour is advised for young vintages. Served between 15 and 17 °C, it will reveal all the depth, elegance and race of a great Côte Rôtie Syrah.