Stéphane Ogier: “The Côte-Rôtie is Burgundy on a smaller scale”

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From friday 23 to monday 26 January, 60 winemakers and merchants will be at the Ampuis wine market, including Stéphane Ogier from Domaine Ogier. In this interview, he explains why Cote Rotie is so popular and talks about his passion for the vineyards he took over from his father in 1997.

It’s the start of the Ampuis Wine Fair. How do you explain the growing enthusiasm for this event?
Stéphane Ogier: “I was lucky enough to have been born here, in Ampuis, right next to the vines that belonged to my father, and to my grandfather before him, and to have experienced the spectacular evolution of this northern part of the Rhone Valley. Undeniably the Côte-Rôtie appellation has benefited from an ever increasing level of popularity for the last ten years or so, and that naturally has had certain repercussions. A shortage of grand wines from Burgundy is often mentioned, but today we are seeing the same phenomenon for the grand wines of the Côte-Rôtie. When I travel I come across devoted Côte-Rôtie ‘fans’ all round the world, people who love our wines and their variety. Floral, refined, elegant, robust, tannic, bold, there is an incredibly wide spectrum in the Côte-Rôtie, which is what makes our wines so completely incomparable. And the Ampuis Wine Fair is a showcase for this diversity. There aren’t that many wine fairs in the world which bring together so many famous names and where you can taste their wines, which all goes to explain the growing regional, national and international interest in this fair.”

What will you be highlighting this year?
Stéphane Ogier: “The star of the estate this year will of course be the Côte Rôtie “Le Village” that we launched at the end of last year. For around fifteen years now I have focussed my work on the individual expression of the 17 terroirs or parcels that we own in the Côte-Rôtie. Each vineyard has its own specificities with regards to soil, exposition and development. Knowing my terroirs intimately allows me, from one year to the next, to consider the different choices available and make the best decisions in terms of managing the vine as it grows, the fruit during the winemaking process and the wine as it matures, right up to the moment it is bottled. Each decision is taken depending on the personality of each terroir and according to its final expression in the glass. All these years I have not only noted a real diversity in expression, but also in quality between my different terroirs. It’s not difficult to understand that vines planted on the hillsides in the heart of Ampuis (the origin of the Côte-Rôtie appellation before it was extended in the sixties), will necessarily reach a level of complexity and depth superior to those planted on the plateau or at the foot of the hillsides in a neighbouring town. It’s what I would call a segmentation of the cru. It’s a project that I had been keen to undertake for a number of years, and which has allowed me to establish a classification of my terroirs. In fact, the Côte-Rôtie is Burgundy on a smaller scale. And this Côte-Rôtie “Le Village” is the realisation of this effort.”

Describe to us this 2012 Côte-Rôtie “Le Village”…
Stéphane Ogier: “The cuvee “Le Village” represents the ideal of a Côte-Rôtie that is accessible when young. 2012 is a very high-class vintage where the expression of the terroir is dominant. I am pleased to be able to present this new cuvee which offers an easier approach to the Côte-Rôtie appellation, but which also gives an extra dimension to the cuvee Reserve. It is truly a wine which places renewed focus on the diversity of our terroirs in the Côte-Rôtie. First, there are the “exceptional terroirs” from which I have the incredible fortune each year to be able to create a few rare bottles of “Belle Hélène” and “Lancement”, destined for long ageing. Then there are the “grands terroirs” generally situated in the heart of the hills, which can approach the exceptional. They are destined for blending to construct the cuvee Reserve, our traditional Côte-Rôtie on which our reputation has historically been built and which for me is the true embodiment of Domaine Stéphane Ogier. And lastly, the famous “villages”, whose soil structure is identical to the grands terroirs and which are indispensable to our appellation brand. Their geographical situation gives us a lighter expression whilst accentuating the charm and the refined and elegant personality of Côte-Rôtie wines. You understand better now why I say that I was lucky to have been born in Ampuis, don’t you?