Farmers in the Northern Rhone since 1925, the Chirat family began with a small vineyard of Syrah alongside animal and fruit farming. After Gilbert Chirat joined his father in 1984 they decided to focus solely on vineyards, planting more Syrah alongside Viognier in Condrieu. Now working in Saint Joseph, Cote Rotie and Condrieu, the Chirat family have embraced a sustainable model, certified by HVE. They have stopped all use of herbicide across their vineyards, farm 30% of their sites organically and in 2023 installed solar panels to provide electricity for their cellar.
La Cote comes from a single parcel of old-vine Syrah on granite soil in the northern end of Saint Joseph, the finest part of the region. 25% of the wine is fermented with whole bunches and it is aged for 12 months in a mixture of French and Austrian oak barrels.
Spicy and stony on first impression, with lots of black pepper, olive tapenade and an iron-like note on the nose. Superb concentration on the palate, with a delicious creaminess to the ripe blackberry and Victoria plum fruit. The tannins are firm but not aggressive, giving it a lovely full-bodied structure perfect for game and roast meats.