Kermit Lynch Blends - France

Nearly forty years of doing business in France and Italy have given Kermit Lynch a level of expertise that few in the wine industry can boast. Countless hours with growers in some of the most famous vineyards and cellars of Europe have offered more than just a casual look at what it takes to be a great grower, let alone a great winemaker. Kermit Lynch was the first to champion the benefits of unfined and unfiltered wines, long before they had become fashionable. This belief is really a matter of taste, and the proof has always been in the glass, offering a purer expression of fruit and an unadulterated reflection of the terroir. Kermit’s conviction has been so strong over the years that he has been able to persuade even the most hard-headed vignerons to test his theories.

Long-term relationships with vignerons in every major wine growing region offer a tremendous array of opportunities. Every year, Kermit enjoys a creative collaboration with some growers to find the best of their selections. Together, they work towards creating a final blend that showcases the region in all its glory at a price point that is difficult to match.

VIN DE PAYS DE VAUCLUSE

Sourced from the terroirs around Domaine de Durban (click here for more information), the grapes for this red Rhône are sourced from parcels next to the village of Beaumes-de-Venise. These vineyards were traditionally used for the family’s personal consumption, and many of the unused grapes were sold off in bulk. As none of this was for commercial bottling, the Leydier family made no effort to have these parcels included in the A.O.C. Côtes du Rhône when the boundaries were first established in 1937. Upon hearing that the family had been selling these grapes to the local cave cooperative in Vacqueyras, Kermit presented the Leydiers the idea of creating a value-driven second label. The plan soon evolved into a collaboration between the family and Kermit. Together, they bottle both a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge and Blanc.

CÔTES DU RHÔNE

The growing success we have enjoyed over the last three vintages is proof enough that the KL Côtes du Rhône fits both the taste profile and quality standards that our customers have come to expect. Since 1929, this winery has been bringing local vignerons together from the outlying areas of Avignon in the Southern Rhône to produce delicious wines that epitomize the region’s complex terroirs. Kermit works closely with winemaker Jean-François Pasturel to develop the blend. Pasturel is thrilled to be able to have the chance to produce a Côtes du Rhône he does not have to filter to death. It is his tête de cuvée, his pride and joy.

CÔTES DU RHÔNE (CYPRESS & SUNFLOWER CUVÉES)

CÔTE RÔTIE

CROZES-HERMITAGE

HERMITAGE

Louis Barruol is an indefatigable force in the Rhône. He is the fourteenth generation in his family to be making wine in this sixteenth-century domaine in Gigondas. On what was once the site of a Roman villa, Louis’ cellars show spectacular remains of old, Roman vinification vats carved into the limestone. Here, Louis works with different grape varietals from the Rhône, vinifying each parcel separately. He has recently taken to acting as a micro-négociant, working closely with top growers in the northern part of the region who still work with la vieille sérine, an ancient version of Syrah. Producing only a few precious barrels of each cuvée, Louis is helping to save the authenticity and the identity of many great old Côte Rôtie parcels, and now those of Hermitage and Crozes, by keeping them out of the hands of the large, corporate négociants in the area. Together, he and Kermit blend our Cypress Cuvée (Rouge) and Sunflower Cuvée (Blanc) from his own vineyards, and the other Northern Rhône wines from a selection of Louis’ purchases. Louis selects the best parcels he can find, and then Kermit shows up and either has a cuvée bottled unfiltered, or he blends to find the assemblage that satisfies his esthetic criteria.

CLICK TO VIEW TECHNICAL INFORMATION

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Blanc	50% Viognier, 50% Chardonnay	18 years	Clay, Limestone	2.5 ha
Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge	55% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Marselan	18 years	Clay, Limestone	3.5 ha
Côtes du Rhône Rouge	Varies : 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 5% Carignan	40 years average	Marl, Limestone	36 ha
Côtes du Rhône Blanc “Sunflower Cuvée”	Varies : 20% Marsanne, 20% Viognier, 20% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne, Picpoul de Pinet, and Viognier (co-fermented)	50 years	Limestone	10 ha
Côtes du Rhône Rouge “Cypress Cuvée”	Varies : Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre	30 years	Varies	Varies
Crozes-Hermitage Les Tiercerolles	Syrah	30 - 50 years	Granite	Varies
Hermitage Les Pierrelles	Syrah	30 - 50 years	Granite	Varies
Côte Rôtie “Les Roses”	Syrah	30 - 50 years	Schist	Varies
Côte Rôtie “La Boisselée”	Syrah	30 - 50 years	Schist	Varies
Côte Rôtie “La Dorée”	Syrah	30 - 50 years	Schist	Varies

"ha"=hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• All blends are subject to change, vintage to vintage. See specific wines below for details by vintage.

Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Blanc :

• Made for Kermit by Domaine de Durban

• Harvested by hand

• Grapes ferment by carbonic maceration in temperature-controlled, stainless steel cuves

• Grapes pressed gently by pneumatic press

• Wine ages for 6 months in cuves before bottling

Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge :

• Made by Domaine de Durban

• Harvested by hand

• Grapes are 100% de-stemmed

• Grapes ferment by carbonic maceration in temperature-controlled, stainless steel cuves

• Grapes pressed gently by pneumatic press

• Wine goes through malolactic fermentation in cement cuves

• Wine ages for 8 months in cuves before being bottled unfiltered

Côtes du Rhône Rouge :

• Wine is made by Jean-François Pasturel at Terres d’Avignon

• Vinification is traditional, with only natural yeasts, in temperature-controlled, cement cuves

• Maceration lasts approximately 25 days

• Wine is aged in cement tank before bottling

• 2010 blend: 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 16% Carignan, 3% Mourvèdre, 1% Cinsault

Côtes du Rhône Blanc “Sunflower Cuvée”:

• Wine is made by Louis Barruol

• 2009 blend: The first 20% Marsanne, 20% Viognier, and 20% Roussanne of the blend are all fermented in oak, the remaining 40% is fermented in cuves

• 2011 blend: 33% Viognier, 33% Roussanne, 22% Marsanne, and 12% Picpoul. The Viognier is sourced from a younger vine parcel (séléction massale). The Rousanne is sourced from the Gard, harvested in two passes. Marsanne and Picpoul are sourced from the same vineyard and vinified together in old barriques. The malolactic fermentation is blocked to retain freshness.

• Starting with the 2010 vintage, the appellation will change to "Appellation Côtes d -Rhône Protégée" (A.O.P.) instead of "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (A.O.C.).

Côtes du Rhône Rouge “Cypress Cuvée":

• Wine is made by Louis Barruol

• 2009 blend: 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache

• 2010 blend: 75% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache (the majority of the grapes are sourced from the red clay vineyards of Vinsobres).

Crozes-Hermitage Rouge:

• Wine is made by Louis Barruol

Hermitage:

• Wine is made by Louis Barruol

Côte Rôties:

• Wines are made by Louis Barruol

• 2009 “Les Roses” is a blend of the lieux-dits Fongeant and Rozier

• 2009 “La Boisselée” is a blend of the lieux-dits Labrosses and Champin

• 2009 “La Dorée” is a blend of the lieux-dits Viaillère and Champin

GENERAL INFORMATION

Country: France
Region: Southern Rhône
Appellation(s): Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, Côtes du Rhône, Côte Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage
Producer: Various
Founded:
Annual Production:
Farming: Lutte Raisonnée