L'HEXAGONE CAVE À VIN IS AN EXCLUSIVE WINE IMPORT AND RETAIL OPERATION THAT WORKS WITH ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY WINE PRODUCERS FROM FRANCE.

Grape(s): 60% Syrah, 30% Sérine, 10% Vieux Viognier

Soil: Granite-like gneiss with white mica (light color is the origin of the name Côte Blonde). Côteaux de Bassenon also contains some dark mica (Biotite or Migmatite Sombre) which is more prevalent in northern part of appellation (name Côte Brune comes from darker soils).

Vineyard: Syrah planted in 1988, Sérine planted in 1989, and Viognier planted in 1902. Because the Viognier is so old, it only represents 10% of the final blend due to very small yields.

Guyot pruning for the Syrah and Sérine, "Gobelet" pruning for the Viognier. As someone who tries to be organic at every turn, Jean-Michel is planting massale-selection Sérine whenever possible. At present, his vineyard is around 60% clone, 30% Sérine, and 10% Viognier; the last is also being regenerated, and at Verenay he has planted 500 young Viognier cuttings grafted from an old massale plant.

Harvest: 40 degree slopes on the Côteaux de Bassenon require manual harvest using small bins. The vines from the high part date from 1987; the low part from 1896 and 1902. No chemicals, herbicides, pesticides used on vines.

Yields: 15 to 20hl/ha for Côteaux de Tupin and Bassenon

Vinification/élévage: 100% de-stemming. Natural yeasts used. No additional enzymes used. No sulfur used (=vin naturel). No fining or filtration. Carbonic Maceration with the cap held down under the juice during the first few days followed by a classical fermentation with pumping up and punching down of the cap by hand; élévage takes place for a period of 16 months in barrel. Côte Rôties are racked only once and not filtered.

Annual Production for Domaine: 9.600 bottles/800 cases + small amount of Syrah and Viognier VDP des Rhodaniennes.

ONE SHOULD DECANT THE WINE BEFORE DRINKING, AND IT WILL REMAIN GOOD FOR THREE DAYS IN OPEN BOTTLE.

BIO

Maturity: Now-2020