Bernard Levet (1.5 L) 2020 Cote Rotie, La Chavaroche, AOC

Bernard Levet (1.5 L) 2020 Cote Rotie, La Chavaroche, AOC

Item Number: 18836

UPC: None

Country: France
Region: Rhone
Sub Region: Northern Rhone
Appellation/AVA: Cote-Rotie AOC
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vineyard Designation: La Chavaroche
Vintage: 2020
Grape(s): Syrah
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 1.5 L
Pack: 6
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 13

Terroir Notes: The crown jewel of the Levet family’s holdings is a 1.2-hectare parcel of old vines at the very summit of the great La Chavaroche Vineyard, and the wine they summon from this dizzying slope is among the most iconic in our entire portfolio. Farming is lutte raisonnée; mostly copper-sulfate and other organic treatments are used, with fungicide and herbicide applied when necessary.

Winemaking Notes: Harvest is manual. La Chavaroche ferments as whole clusters. The grapes ferment with selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks for around 3 weeks with daily pump overs. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous in vats directly following alcoholic fermentation. The wine is racked following malolactic and remains on its fine lees until assemblage prior to bottling. La Chavaroche spends 24 months in 600-liter demi-muids, 30% of them new. It is fined with a vegetable fining agent and is not filtered.

Tasting Notes: Always strikingly wild, La Chavaroche Côte-Rôtie possesses an unmistakable musk: a warm animal profile that feels somehow ancient and unknowable, a sort of profound riddle of terroir.

Northern Rhône 2020 Vintage Notes by Wine Spectator 2/28/2023: “96pts - 'Classic' is the word many producers are using to describe the north in 2020, citing a return to the more elegant, perfumed, finessed style the region is famous for. One of the earliest harvests on record, with cooler nights allowing Syrah to ripen evenly and retain freshness. Despite record-setting heat and drought, the wines show classic elegance and finesse. Silky tannins mean early drinking pleasure, while good acidity and structure mean ageability. A truly great year for both reds and whites.”

Reviews

  • Jeb Dunnuck
    Rating: 93-95+ (12/15/2022)
    The 2020 Côte Rôtie La Chavaroche brings another level of complexity, with a smorgasbord-like array of spring flowers, violets, iron, and both red and black fruits. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with plenty of structure, it's always a more floral, gamey, wild wine when compared to the Les Journaries. This brilliant, old school-styled Côte Rôtie is going to need 5-6 years of bottle age but will unquestionably deliver the wild ride that these wines always provide. Note, the Chavaroche goes by the name Peroline in Europe.