Presentation
The Domaine Chirat, located on the steep slopes of the northern Rhône Valley, is a family exploitation specializing in the Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie appellations. For several generations, the Chirat family has cultivated its vines on terraces, on granite soils that give the wines remarkable finesse and minerality. Cultivation is conducted in sustainable viticulture, with limited interventions and particular attention to biodiversity. The harvest is exclusively manual, allowing rigorous selection of clusters at perfect maturity. The Condrieu whites are a true expression of Viognier: rich, aromatic, and of great elegance, they develop enchanting notes of apricot, peach, and white flowers. The Côte-Rôtie reds, made from Syrah and sometimes co-fermented with a touch of Viognier, reveal complex aromas of black fruits, spices, and violet, supported by a beautiful tannic structure and a persistent finish. An essential domain for lovers of great Rhône wines.
Location
Production commune: 42410 Chavanay.
Terroir
The terroir is composed of 50% Velay granite and 50% muscovite granite.
In the vineyard
Key vineyard practices include careful soil management, canopy work, and natural treatments to preserve vine balance and fruit quality.
Harvest
The estate is located in the Northern Rhône Valley, 50 km south of Lyon, more precisely in the commune of Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône. All our vines are planted on the right bank of the Rhône, facing South to South-East, on a geological unit predominantly composed of granite.
They extend over three departments: Rhône, Loire, and Ardèche. We practice sustainable viticulture based on observing each stage of the vine’s development — “the right gesture at the right time.” Every essential step is carried out to ensure grape quality: soil tilling, leaf thinning, crop thinning, controlled grass cover, green manure, organic treatments, foliar fertilization, etc.
Vines on the slopes (AOP wines) are planted at a density close to 9,000 vines per hectare, encouraging low vigor. Each vine thus produces only a few small bunches, concentrated and aromatic. On the upper slopes (IGP wines), density is 5,500 vines per hectare, with controlled grass cover and soil work to regulate vigor and limit erosion.
Our vines are selected by massal selection from our old vineyards and grafted in Savoie by the RIONDY nursery. Viognier is grafted onto Rupestris du Lot, an old rootstock well adapted to climate change thanks to its suitability for poor soils and its ability to delay the vegetative cycle. Red varieties are grafted onto 3309 Couderc.
Winemaking
Whole-cluster pneumatic pressing. Indigenous alcoholic fermentation, carried out fully in both tanks and barrels. Malolactic fermentation is blocked.
Ageing
10 months: 80% in French oak barrels (225 L, 400 L, and demi-muids), 20% in Austrian demi-muids (500 L), with 20% new oak.
Varietals
Roussanne : 60%
Marsanne : 40%
Specifications
Production volume : 35 000
Serving
Serve at 8–12°C.
Ageing potential
2 to 3 years
Tasting
Pale straw-yellow with golden highlights. The nose opens with acacia and hawthorn blossom, which with time may evolve towards honeyed notes. The palate offers great expression, combining richness and roundness with perfectly balanced freshness. A subtle toasted nuance appears on the finish, a signature of its barrel ageing.
Food pairings
This wine pairs wonderfully with red mullet and asparagus, pike with beurre blanc, herb-seasoned langoustines, white meats, and fresh cheeses.
