Appellation
Côte-Rôtie
Identity card
VillageAOPRed
Rhône Valley › Northern Rhône · Recognised on 18 October 1940
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Red only, from 3 communes facing Vienne; hand-harvested.
- At most 40 hl/ha, at least 10.5% natural alcohol; at least 6,000 vines/ha.
- With Viognier: sometimes violet notes, more roundness.
Grape varieties
Production rules
40
hl/ha
Maximum yield
10.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
6,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 67 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 12.5 % ABV across 63 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 75 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Very steep right-bank slopes, facing Vienne
- Soils: Côte Blonde: gneiss, pale sandy soils held by walls
- Soils: Côte Brune: mica schist, darker, more clayey soils
Wine style
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
4 July 2024
Arrêté du 4 juillet 2024 homologuant le cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Côte-Rôtie » (JORF n°0160 du 7 juillet 2024, texte n°56), modifiant le cahier des charges homologué par le décret n° 2011-1363 du 24 octobre 2011 (JORF du 27 octobre 2011).
Labelling terms
- The name of a registered lieu-dit may appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Côte-Rôtie »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO)
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Côte Rôtie » (BO du MASA du 18 juillet 2024)— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
- Trade bodyVignobles de la Vallée du Rhône — site officiel d'Inter Rhône— Inter Rhône — Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes du Rhône et Vallée du Rhône
The northernmost cru of the Rhône Valley, spread over three communes south of Vienne, Côte-Rôtie probably takes its name from slopes "roasted" by the sun. Syrah heavily dominates the vineyard (at least 80% of plantings), with a long-standing right to interplant and co-ferment up to 20% Viognier, which can bring violet notes and more roundness.
Mini-challenge
Côte-Rôtie
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