Clos de la Bonnette

A new (ish) find, having tasted at trade shows and fairs in France, we were then thrilled that Matt Walls went so far as to list the 'Legende Bonnetta' cuvée as his top Condrieu from the 2019 vintage - a strong field with some fairly serious contenders!

Husband and wife team Isabelle & Henri are fully certified organic, they had been farming fruit and vegetables in the region since the 1970s but since 2009 have focused solely on the vine. They make some very compelling wines from a tiny 5 hectare estate, split between Condrieu and two sites in Côte Rôtie. Tasting these in London turned us into wide-eyed children – the wines are truly magical and surpassed our already elevated expectations. The Côte Rôtie and Condrieu are gorgeous – so sleek and polished, with a nose that you just want to dive into.

Isabelle characterised 2023 as:

‘A difficult but beautiful vintage, warm & dry but the yield was good and the wines are very beautiful.’

Domaine Graeme & Julie Bott

A love story and a bit of good fortune; a love of the Syrah grape that led Graeme to the Rhone and the love of his life Julie, who came together whilst working at the prestigious cellars of Stephane Ogier. Theirs is a back story of adventure and spirit and one of serendipity too.

Our relationship with the pair stretches back some 8 years or so, when we often stopped and shared a beer after the Marché aux vins in Ampuis every January, it was no surprise when they told us they were setting out on their own journey.

The surprise came when they discovered that the house they had purchased in Verin, complete with 0.35 hectare of garden, was within the appellation of Condrieu, between the in-demand Coteau de Chéry and the illustrious Chateau Grillet. Graeme & Julie like to pick early to capture the freshness, the wines tend be expressive, bright and pure.

Watch the videos: Domaine G&J Bott or Condrieu Lieu-Dit L'ALEAU.

Graeme Bott on the 2023 vintage:

“The Condrieu degree in 2023 was 12.5° to 13°. If you were on top of the vineyards, you were OK, providing you had treated them.
Yields were better than what we could actually see, and we had ended 95% of the white harvest before the 18 September rain. In 2022, we sprayed the least ever because it was so dry, and in 2023 we sprayed the most ever because it was so wet. The reds are awesome.”

Domaine Patrick & Christophe Bonnefond

Christophe and Patrick took over this family domaine in 1990. It extends to ten hectares, with small amounts of IGP 'Collines Rhodaniennes' Viognier (0.5 hectare) and Syrah (1 hectare) as well as the Condrieu and the three cuvées of Côte-Rôtie.

The Condrieu (1 hectare) comes from the granite soils of the Côte Chatillon. It is fermented in 440l barrels (with 30% new wood) at 18C and aged on the lees for ten months.

The 'Colline de Couzou' Côte-Rôtie comes from several plots in the north and south of the appellation, on schist and granite, about six hectares in total. All the reds are fermented in stainless steel with around 20% whole bunches. The Couzou is then aged in 400l barrels for eighteen months, with 20% new wood. Production hovers just above 2000 cases a year.

The Côte Rozier (0.5 hectare) is in the north of the appellation, on schist and mica-schist. The vinification is the same, but the percentage of new wood for this and the Rochains goes up to 30% and the élevage in barrel is extended to 20 months. Only about 160 cases a year. The Rochains (1 hectare), a slightly bigger cuvée at 300 cases a year, is also in the north of the appellation, the other side of La Landonne, on a soil of schist with lots of iron oxide. These are the oldest vines of the domaine.

Christophe & Patrick Bonnefond have been at the forefront of everything good in Côte-Rotie for the past 20 years, with great sites in the north of the appellation as well as a small site in Tupin-et-Semons to the south. It has been fascinating watching the domaine develop into one of the go-to names for quality. The brothers have toned down their use of new oak in recent years and Christophe’s daughter Léa has joined the family business, adding a more gentle touch.

Léa Bonnefond on the 2023 vintage:

“Superb vintage” for Bonnefond it was, “A little dry and sunny - we now have wines that look like 2022 but even more powerful.”

Maison Bruyère & David

The best way to discover what is going on in a wine region is to eat and drink in the local restaurants and ask who’s up-and-coming. Our buyers were eating in Condrieu and having a refreshing beer after a hard day of tasting (it is thirsty work!) when they came across this new venture from friends Justin Bruyère & Sylvain David.

Their story is very simple one: two friends united by a passion for wine - as Justin says 'all beautiful projects are born around a glass of wine'.

Justin has deep roots within the region, his grandfather being Michel Delas of famed Hermitage name Delas Frères, whilst Sylvan brings a wealth of winemaking experience, most notably working in the cellars of Domaine des Terres Dorées in Morgon and also the brilliant Domaine Gerin in Côte-Rôtie.

These two relative youngsters in the region, have real passion, drive and enthusiasm and it shows in the wines.

Justin Bruyère on the 2023 vintage:

‘I like the finesse and the fruit with the vintage - there is of course elegance, and a drinkability that is direct. It's a vintage that is accessible to all.’