Domaine Georges VERNAY - Coteau de Vernon 2022
Domaine Georges Vernay is located in the commune of Condrieu , in the north of the Rhone Valley. The estate was created in 1937 by Francis Vernay , with his first plantations in the locality of Coteau de Vernon. In 1940, he launched the now legendary great cuvée called "Coteau de Vernon". In 1953, Georges Vernay succeeded his father, he is recognized for having "saved" the Condrieu appellation and became the leader of an entire generation who after him would make this terroir one of the most recognized in the world. At the time, the Viognier grape variety was abandoned but Georges Vernay replanted his land and revitalized the grape variety. Since 1996, Christine Vernay is the third generation of the Vernay family to manage the estate. After running the estate alone for over 10 years, Christine is now assisted in the vineyard by her younger brother Luc Vernay , who manages and supervises the field teams. For over 20 years, Christine Vernay has been using organic farming methods , the entire estate has been certified since 2017. While she believes that organic farming is an ethical issue, she is moving towards biodynamics as a philosophy.
Coteau de Vernon is made from Viognier vines ranging in age from 50 to 80 years, from 2.5 hectares of south and south-east facing terraces on biotitic granite soils of the Condrieu appellation. The grapes are harvested by hand when fully ripe, then the whole bunches are put into direct pressing and fermented in barrels. The aging is carried out in barrels, on fine lees for 12 to 18 months, with 25% new wood .
Grape variety: 100% Viognier