2013 Côte-Rôtie Les Grandes Places

With Guillaume Clusel now handling more and more of the vineyard and winemaking responsibilities here, I've noticed a subtle change of style in the red wines in recent years. The Clusel-Roch Côte-Rôties have long been prized by their fans for their relatively light touch, but lately I've been seeing a bit more depth of flavor, with no loss of elegance, and the tannins seem to be even finer than in the past, even in the flagship Grandes Places bottling. Guillaume has his own domain, which specializes in Gamay, and I wonder if working with that variety has had an effect on his work with Syrah, because I definitely see even more graceful character in these wines now than in the past.

My annual visit to the Clusel-Roch cellar was guided by Brigitte and Gilbert's son Guillaume, who has begun to make a name for himself with his energetic pure Gamays from the granite-rich soils of the Coteaux du Lyonnais. He is moving steadily into his future role in command of this estate, which was an early convert to biodynamic farming and which has become one of the most visible advocates of the bio movement in the region. The 2013s and 2012s here are very much in keeping with the house style: fresh, nervy and graceful. Guillaume said that the family is "very happy with both vintages because the fruit was correct for making elegant, not heavy wines." He is especially pleased by the approachable character of the 2012s, which he said possess "harmonious tannins that don't distract from early drinking but have the strength to help the wines age."