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KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT

Technical Information

Wine Blend Vine Age Soil Type Vineyard Area*
Vin de France “Chasselas”
Chasselas Planted in 1890 Gneiss .10 ha
Saint-Joseph Blanc
Les Oliviers
80% Marsanne, 20% Roussanne 40 years average Granite, clay, loess 2 ha
Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche “Les Iles Feray”
Syrah 25 years average Alluvial, granite .72 ha
Saint-Joseph Rouge
Syrah 40 years average Granite 7.5 ha
Saint-Joseph Rouge “Vieilles Vignes”
Syrah Planted 1920s Gneiss 1.2 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Vineyards are farmed organically

• All vines are from sélection massale

• Yields are kept very low by pruning, ranging from 30-38 hl/ha

• Grapes are harvested by hand

• Only indigenous yeasts are used


Vin de France “Chasselas”:
• Whole clusters are pressed gently with a pneumatic press
• Juice settles for 12 hours before being racked into fermentation casks
• Wine ages in barrique and demi-muid on fine lees for 11 months, undergoing a regular stirring of the lees

Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers:

Lieu-dit of Les Oliviers regarded as the greatest for producing white grapes in the Saint-Joseph appellation; vineyard is situated on the terraces above the town of Tournon, just across the river from Tain l’Hermitage

• Whole clusters are pressed gently with a pneumatic press

• Juice settles for 12 hours before being racked into fermentation casks

• Wine ages in barrique and demi-muid on fine lees for 11 months, undergoing a regular stirring of the lees


Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche “Les Iles Feray”:
• Produced from flatter vineyards at the bottom of the slope (between the Route Nationale and the Rhône) and young-vine fruit from hillside vineyards
• Grapes are mostly destemmed (50-80%, depending on the vintage)
• Grapes are lightly crushed before fermentation
• Wine is aged for 10 months in old demi-muid
• Wine is bottled before the following year’s harvest
• Bottled unfiltered

Saint-Joseph Rouge:

• Grapes are partially destemmed (up to 20%, depending on the vintage)
• Grapes are lightly crushed before fermentation
• Vinification in large open vats
• Pump-overs or punch-downs occur twice daily for two or three weeks
• After maceration, wine is transferred to foudre and demi-muid
• The wine ages for 14 to 16 months and is racked twice during this time
• Bottled unfiltered


Saint-Joseph Rouge “Vieilles Vignes”:

• Produced from three parcels in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols planted just after World War I
• 100% whole-cluster fermentation—no destemming
• Whole grape clusters are lightly crushed before fermentation
• Bottled unfiltered
• Produced only in certain years

General Information

Country
France
Region
Northern Rhône
Appellation(s)
Saint-Joseph, Vin de Pays de l'Ardèche
Producer
Pierre & Jean Gonon
Founded
1956
Annual Production
2,300 - 3,500 cases
Farming
Organic (certified)
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