The steep, craggy slopes of the vineyards demand that all work be done manually, and Xavier continues the traditional practices in the cellar, with spontaneous fermentation and classic Northern Rhone elevage, mostly in older barrels of demi-muid size.
Xavier Gerard is an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with in the Northern Rhone. Having assumed control of his family's impressive holdings in Cote-Rotie and Condrieu with the 2013 vintage, Xavier has been steadily honing his craft over the ensuing years; today, his svelte, pure, classicist renderings of Cote-Rotie's unique terroir rival anything produced in the appellation. Furthermore, his nimble, acid-prizing touch with Viognier yields Condrieu of appealing restraint and foregrounded minerality.
Xavier is steering his viticulture toward the fully organic-a particularly arduous feat on these brutally steep terraced slopes-aiming for certification over the next several years, and he has refined his touch in the cellar to allow for sensitive rather than systematic whole-cluster usage, natural fermentations, and minimal handling of the wines during their elevage. His emphasis on elegance and precision provides a wonderful counterpoint to the beloved Cote-Rotie of the Levet family (who introduced us to Xavier ten years ago), while offering an equally profound glimpse into these slopes' prized schist.
