Domaine Clusel-Roch

Domaine Clusel-Roch (pronounced CluzEL-Roke) is a legendary Côte-Rôtie estate with deep roots in Ampuis, where René Clusel first bottled his wines in 1969 from just 1 hectare of vines. Today, this organic-certified domaine (since 2002) spans 3.5 hectares of steep, schist-rich Côte Brune terroir and 0.5 hectares in Condrieu, farmed meticulously by Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch. Their prized old-vine Syrah (Serine clone) from the historic 'Les Grandes Places' parcel—planted pre-WWII—yields complex, age-worthy wines through traditional methods: hand-harvesting, partial whole-cluster fermentation, and aging in Burgundy barrels (20% new). With gravity-flow winemaking, native yeasts, and no fining/filtration, their wines (just 15,000 bottles annually) express pure Côte-Rôtie character—structured yet elegant, with signature aromas of violet, olive, and smoky minerality. A benchmark for artisanal Northern Rhône winemaking.