Domaine Graeme & Julie Bott : Lieu-Dit l'Aleau 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Condrieu "Lieu-Dit l'Aleau" 2024 from Domaine Graeme & Julie Bott

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine from the Rhône Valley reveals a bright, luminous pale gold colour.

Nose
Wonderfully complex, the bouquet unveils delicate floral aromas of honeysuckle, rose, orange blossom and acacia. These are joined by notes of stone fruit such as white peach and ripe apricot, along with exotic touches of pineapple and lychee. The whole is elevated by honeyed nuances, subtle sweet spices and toasted hazelnut, over a mineral, delicately smoky backdrop.

Palate
The attack is lively and fresh, immediately offering a beautiful mineral tension. The mid-palate unfolds a rich, silky texture, dominated by ripe and exotic fruit flavours. There is a perfect balance between this enveloping richness and the characteristic minerality of the granite terroir, avoiding any excess of varietal character. The finish lingers with elegance, purity and length.

Food and Wine Pairings

This cuvée pairs beautifully with fine fish such as pan-seared sea bass, turbot or sole. It also complements shellfish in delicate sauces, tender poultry such as guinea fowl or Bresse chicken, as well as refined vegetable-based haute cuisine dishes. When it comes to cheese, favour soft bloomy-rind cheeses or fresh goat's cheese. Finally, pan-seared foie gras with fruit makes for a bold and refined pairing.

Serving and Cellaring

This white wine boasts remarkable ageing potential for its appellation. It can be kept and enjoyed until around 2039.

Domaine Graeme & Julie Bott, the Pure Expression of the Rhône Valley's Terroirs

The Estate

Founded in 2015, Domaine Graeme & Julie Bott is the fruit of the passion shared by its current owners, Graeme, originally from New Zealand, and Julie, a native of the region. Starting from scratch with no family vineyard heritage, they built up an estate of around 12 hectares in the northern Rhône Valley. Their adventure truly began with the discovery of an overgrown garden surrounding their house, which has since been transformed into an exceptional terroir. This estate in the Rhône Valley is now recognised for its meticulous plot-by-plot approach and its commitment to producing precise, energetic wines that remain true to their geological identity.

The Vineyard

The founding plot is located in the village of Vérin, at the heart of the Condrieu appellation, nestled between the renowned Chéry hillside and the boundary of Château-Grillet. This amphitheatre-shaped terroir overlooking the river rests on decomposed granite soils. Due to the steep slopes and terraces supported by dry-stone walls known as chaillets, all vineyard work is carried out entirely by hand, aided by tracked vehicles and winches. Deeply committed to environmental stewardship, the estate is currently converting to organic farming.

Winemaking and Ageing

To craft this 2024 vintage, the grapes are hand-harvested and sorted directly in the vineyard. They are then whole-bunch pressed to preserve all their aromatic finesse, followed by cold settling. Fermentation takes place in barrels, driven by indigenous yeasts. Finally, the wine is aged on its lees for around nine months in French oak barrels, lending roundness and complexity without masking the terroir's minerality.

Grape Variety

100% Viognier