Xavier Gerard is a relative newcomer to the world of old school Côte-Rôtie vignerons. But since he took over for his father in 2012, the wines have become critical darlings. John Livingston-Learmonth raves vintage in... Read More
Xavier Gerard is a relative newcomer to the world of old school Côte-Rôtie vignerons. But since he took over for his father in 2012, the wines have become critical darlings. John Livingston-Learmonth raves vintage in and vintage out (his notes on the 2021 are below).
But they aren't the kind of Côte-Rôties that appeal *only* to wine geeks and Northern Rhône nuts. Xavier is friends of the Levet family, the super-old school producers in Côte-Rôtie whose wines are very much on the wild and woolly side of what the appellation can do.
Xavier's wines, while every bit as honest and terroir transparent as Levet's, are more focused on the region's elegantly perfumed, gorgeously fruited side. But the Levets recognized his wines' kindred spirit and introduced him to their US importer, Neal Rosenthal. Neal was smitten and shared them with all of us in New York, where it was love at first sight.
The Gerard family used to sell a lot of their wine off to top négociants, but Xavier stopped the practice and bottles everything. Even so, there isn't much wine. His "basic" Côte-Rôtie comes from some of the top, crazy-steep vineyards, which he farms organically (he's working towards certification). He takes a bespoke approach to vinification, making decisions about using whole clusters based on the character of the fruit, rather than adhering to a rule.
He carries out the thoughtful, precise approach with minimal handling of the grapes, making for a purity that is beguiling when married to the Côte-Rôtie character. It's a wine that has the magical ability to drink seductively young, but also to age into the old-time.
