Vignobles Levet Cote-Rotie Amethyste 2022
We have 5 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
Summer Shipping Advisory: Orders may be temporarily held during periods of extreme heat to ensure wine arrives in optimal condition.
View current shipping weather map →
The Land
Côte-Rôtie allows growers to co-ferment up to 20 percent Viognier with their Syrah, and many do. The Levet family does not. Their reds come entirely from Serine, the small-berried, old Ampuis strain of Syrah that the family propagates by massal selection from its own vines. The appellation itself is a narrow band of terraces on the right bank of the Rhône around Ampuis, the northernmost red appellation in the valley, with slopes so steep that nearly all work is done by hand. The name means roasted slope, and the southeast exposure explains it. Levet farms parcels on both of its famous hillsides: the Côte Brune, with dark, iron-rich schist that builds structure, and the Côte Blonde, with paler soils that give perfume. The underlying rock is mica-schist, which pushes Syrah toward smoke, olive and spice rather than jammy fruit.
The Wine
Améthyste is the house Côte-Rôtie, a blend drawn from parcels across both hillsides rather than a single lieu-dit. The name nods to the region's Gallo-Roman past: Romans believed amethyst protected the drinker from intoxication. Grapes are hand-harvested and given a long maceration, then aged two years in oak, much of it large demi-muids, with new wood kept to a minority so it frames rather than flavors the fruit. The 2022 vintage in the northern Rhône was defined by drought, with a record-hot May and repeated heatwaves above 40°C; growers in Côte-Rôtie lost volume to vine stress, and harvest came very early. The Vignobles Levet Côte-Rôtie Améthyste 2022 shows violet, blueberry, bitter cherry, black olive, smoked meat and allspice, over powdery tannin and a finish of licorice and rose petal.
The People
This is a four-generation family estate. The family's first vines went into the Côte Blonde in 1929, and Marius Chambeyron began bottling a portion of the wine in 1966, when most Côte-Rôtie was still sold in barrel. His daughter Nicole and her husband Bernard Levet took over in 1983, expanded the vineyards and built a cellar in Ampuis, and their daughter Agnès Levet has run both vineyard and cellar since 2004. Farming follows agriculture raisonnée, with no insecticides, sheep manure in the vineyards and all harvesting done by hand. The family states that roughly 45 percent of its vines are more than 70 years old. Levet has long been known for Côte-Rôtie with a smoky, feral streak, and under Agnès the wines have kept that classic profile rather than chasing ripeness.
Food Pairing
Côte-Rôtie is at its best with game birds and herbs. Roast quail stuffed with grapes and wrapped in pancetta is a local classic, the fruit and fat meeting the wine's own red fruit and smoke. Pigeon or squab with a reduction of red wine and black olives picks up the olive tone directly. A braised lamb shoulder with thyme and white beans gives the tannin something to grip. For a simpler night, a mushroom and Gruyère tart pulls out the earthy, savory side of the Serine. Serve it slightly cool, around 60°F, at the kind of dinner where people stay at the table long after the plates are cleared.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
The Rhône Valley is a diverse and historic wine region, divided into two distinct areas. The Northern Rhône is the birthplace of Syrah, with steep, terraced vineyards that produce some of the world's most revered wines, such as those from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. The Southern Rhône is much more expansive, offering a wider range of styles, but typically based around Grenache-based blends, with wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape known for their complexity and power. While the region is celebrated for its reds, it also produces incredible textured whites, and as a whole the region displays the spectrum of French wine and the incredible differences that can come from small geographic changes.
Rhone Valley
Syrah is a dark-skinned grape of French origin, specifically from the Northern Rhône Valley, where it produces some of the world's most powerful and complex wines. Known as Shiraz in Australia, Syrah is capable of displaying a wide range of aromas and flavors. Cool climate Syrahs tend to express floral notes like violets, along with savory elements like olives, while those grown in warmer climates like Australia are more likely to show black pepper and dark fruit notes such as plum. The grape's versatility allows it to adapt to various climates and soil types, but it maintains its unique characteristics no matter where it is planted.
