Domaine Xavier Gérard, Rhone
Domaine Xavier Gérard, Rhone
A rising star with exceptional terroir
The Côte Chatillon is one of the greatest lieu-dit of Condrieu, a sharp granitic escarpment that hovers above the village, an emblematic site in the most emblematic of appellations for Viognier. This is a source of perfumed bottlings of exceptional beauty, freshness and balance; a heavenly dose of Chanel transmuted into wine. Domaine Xavier Gérard sits in the shadow of the Côte Chatillon, the small winery of the domain staring up at its holdings on the slope, one of the small and select parcels that they possess within some of the finest vineyards of the whole Northern Rhône. In Côte-Rôtie, too, they own some of La Landonne, a legendarily steep slope of manganese and iron rich schists famed for producing some of the most sought-after Syrah across the globe. Although they are only a small family-run operation, with less than 8 hectares in and around the northernmost sector of the Rhône, Domaine Gérard are blessed with a quality of holdings comparable even to Guigal. Yet, for all the brilliance, elegance and quality that Domaine Gérard wrings from such stunning terroir, their wines remain relatively under the radar. For now, at least, they represent exceptional value within the context of the global fine wine market, producing some of the great gastronomic wines of the Northern Rhône at accessible prices.
Estate History
Domaine Gérard and its holdings have been in the family for many generations, Xavier Gérard taking the reins from his father François in 2012, and beginning to produce wine from the 2013 vintage onwards. Historically their wine production was miniscule, with many of their grapes sold to larger producers. Yet Xavier was clear sighted regarding the potential quality of these grapes, and began to systematically vinify their holdings, their portfolio now including three cuvees of Condrieu, two of Côte-Rôtie, one bottling of Saint-Joseph, and a Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier. Their vineyard plots are almost entirely on slopes of such sharp incline that labour is all manual, Xavier also moving towards full organic certification. These are traditionally vinified and classically styled wines, with rigorous hand selection before spontaneous fermentation and aging in large, generally used oak demi-muids.
Winemaking style
Xavier’s focus is on elegance, complexity and minerality across the range, his Viognier now the model for a lighter, fresher style of Condrieu, not least his exceptional bottling of the Côte Chatillon, which combines stupendous intensity and perfume with scintillating lightness. Likewise, his Syrah is characterised by a noble delicacy and poise, never relying on overt power and extraction, but still conjuring waves of intense fruit, savouriness and elaborate aromatics that linger on the nose and palate for minutes at a time. Another wine of note is his Saint-Joseph, one of the few stand-out wines from the north of the appellation as it sits on limestone bedrock, hailing from the appropriately named lieu-dit Le Blanchard. Much more feminine in style than the granitic St Joseph produced further south, this is a gentle and slightly floral take on the appellation, providing notes of delicate red and black fruits, violet flowers, mediterranean herbs and softly meaty and umami aromatics.
These are wines that are beginning to take their rightful place amongst the most admired emerging from Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu, and a hugely exciting future lies ahead. Due to the size of Domaine Xavier Gérard’s production, and the ever-increasing demand these exceptional wines are subject to, please contact us regarding allocation.
Their Wines