Burgundy Domaine Joseph Roty
Although the late Joseph Roty had a rather fierce reputation of banning journalists, saying little and smoking through tastings in his Gevrey cellar, many members of the Private Cellar team were in fact introduced to decent Burgundy in this very cellar, treated to Madame Roty’s famous cheese gougères – always incredibly welcome on a cold December day. They may be a family of few words, but what this family do not know about their vines could probably be put into fewer.
The Roty family have been part of the landscape of Gevrey Chambertin since 1710; a jaw-dropping eleven generations have worked vines in this northern part of the Côte d’Or. October 2015 tragically saw the death of Philippe Roty at the ridiculously early age of 46, scarcely more than a decade since he took over from his father, the eponymous Joseph. The Domaine continues to be overseen by Madame Roty, Joseph’s widow, whilst Pierre-Jean, Philippe’s brother is the steady hand during vinification as well as continuing in the vineyards as previously. A ten minute stint in the vineyard with Pierre-Jean is like a masterclass in vineyard husbandry – fascinating and, in true Roty style, wonderfully down to earth with no truck given to passing fads and unproven techniques.
Philippe’s vineyards were handed over to Pierre-Jean in 2013, combining what were two technically separate domains (Domaine Philippe Roty and Domaine Joseph Roty) under the original name of Domaine Joseph Roty. Although their acerage under vine has never been disclosed, their vineyards and wines range from the iconic Charmes-Chambertin Très Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru (reputed to be some of the oldest vines in the whole of the Côte d'Or) to Marsannay and their Bourgogne Pressonnier (a firm Private Cellar favourite).
We encourage you to try Roty's wines from across the range of appellations and crus. From Marsannay, the Roty’s Champs St Etienne vines are 40-60 years old. This is the wine you are most likely to find on the Private Cellar table again and again … and again. A canny buyer will snap up a case of Marsannay en Ouzelois from the tiny half hectare vineyard of 80+ year old vines, the first that Joseph Roty purchased; the 2011 is now absolutely à point now. From Gevrey Chambertin, take Roty’s Clos de la Brunelle, planted in 1954 just behind the family house; a vineyard which produces wines that appear deceptively light at first taste before revealing immense power behind, making for an incredibly satisfying drink of many layers. And of course, Roty’s Bourgogne Pressonnier comes from a 1.5 hectare vineyard to the south of Gevrey Chambertin and offers serious value for money.
To quote from Bill Nanson’s book The Finest Wines of Burgundy; “Each wine in the range flirts with being very special indeed, delivering density, tension, and impact, whether you buy Marsannay or Mazy-Chambertin.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
We offer Domain Joseph Roty’s wines each winter, around December/January, only once in bottle, a year after the general en primeur releases.
Michelin Guide
"The resulting wines are powerful, structured and concentrated, with a long track record of graceful aging." Joseph Roty was rewarded with 1 Michelin grape. Attributed to the Michelin Guide
Header map from www.bourgogne-wines.com
Click here for current availability or call us on 01353 721 999. For marketing queries, please contact Laura Taylor at laura@privatecellar.co.uk
