Côte Rôtie 2008 "The IV Seasons" - Didier Gerin

Côte Rôtie 2008 "The IV Seasons" - Didier Gerin

Presentation of the domain:

Didier Gerin has been running the family estate since 2001. A lively forty-something, this former mechanical engineer believes that simplicity is synonymous with greatness. Since 2016, winemaking has been completely natural, with pesticides, soil enrichment and phytosanitary treatments reduced to a strict minimum.

The vines of the 4 Ha estate are planted on stakes on slopes reaching nearly 70% facing due south. The harvests and work in the vineyard are entirely manual. Resulting in very low yields of around 34 Hectoliters per hectare.

The estate has 1.5 hectares in the Côte Rôtie appellation, half a hectare in the Condrieu appellation and 2 hectares in Vin de France.

Vinification in concrete vats with carbonic maceration by crushing and vatting for 20 to 30 days. Fermentation with natural yeasts, use of SO2 only at bottling.

Food and wine pairing:

The 2008 Côte Rôtie 'Les IV Saisons' is a powerful wine that pairs perfectly with robust dishes. It pairs wonderfully with grilled red meats, dishes in sauce, mature cheeses, and even spicy Mediterranean dishes.

Tasting Notes:

We tasted this wine twice in May and August 2023. The first time on its own and the second time with grilled meat.

Color: Deep ruby, the wine seems very young, although it is over 16 years old.

Nose: The first nose is of black fruit (blackberry), fresh and light spices and slightly green notes. We sense a vintage that would have needed a little more sun.

The second nose evolves a lot, the spices and especially the pepper take over completely, normal you will tell me it is a syrah. The blackberry remains in the background.

Palate: The attack is fresh and balanced, the perfectly supple tannins unfortunately lack maturity and are a little "green". The pepper and spices dominate and prolong the caudalies in an interminable way.

Conclusion: A wine that I love to hate, since I tasted it twice in a short time just to be sure. Unlike very (too) rich vintages, this wine is not "easy", no excess of sugar, alcohol and roundness. An "old-fashioned" style that we are no longer really used to. We strongly advise you to taste this wine at the table after a long decanting.

Service tips:

To fully enjoy this Côte Rotie 2008, we recommend decanting it for at least an hour before serving. The ideal serving temperature is around 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. This wine has great aging potential, and a few more years of cellaring will allow it to develop its complexity even further.