| Region of production: | Château-Grillet |
| Winery Location: | Vérin |
| Year Established: | Unknown; domaine-bottling began in 1830 by the Neyret-Gachet family |
Vineyard Holdings
Château-Grillet: 3.5 ha Viognier, average vine age 45 years; soil is decomposed granite sand with black mica on a south-facing amphitheater.
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Château-Grillet
- “Pontcin”: 100% Viognier declassified to Côtes du Rhône AOP; named for a lieu ditof Château-Grillet. Inaugural vintage 2011.
Average Total Production
- 14,400 bottles
Summary
Château-Grillet occupies a unique position in the Rhône as a single-owner AOP, though it has never been the smallest AOP in France as mentioned in some texts. Grillet, potentially referring to the „grilled“ hillsides, has a rich history: The archaeological record points to its establishment in the 3rd century CE, and Thomas Jefferson even visited the property in 1787. Numerous documents report the sale of the wine in the 1800s at prices similar to Meursault and Côte-Rôtie. In fact, the famous early 20th century gastronome Curnonsky rated Château-Grillet as one of the top five white wines in France (and thus the world, of course…). The Neyret-Gachet family purchased the property in 1825, holding it until 2011 when their heirs sold it to François Pinault (owner of Château Latour and Domaine d’Eugénie in Vosne-Romanée). Château-Grillet had been a target of wine writers for decades for the lackluster quality of their wines; it will be interesting to watch the team installed by Pinault attempt to return the estate to its former glory.
Style & Vinification Techniques
2011 was the first vintage wholly made by the new ownership group; The wines are harvested and whole-cluster pressed parcel by parcel, and primary fermentation takes place in a combination of stainless steel tank and barrel. The wine is aged in barrel for 18 months, with about 20% new oak each year.
Producer Website: Château-Grillet