Côte-Rôtie has no plans for cru classification despite renewed debate

Côte-Rôtie growers have revisited the idea of classifying vineyards, but the appellation’s co-presidents say there is currently no intention to create a cru system, according to Decanter. The debate touches on how to describe the region’s vineyards—and whether ranking individual sites would clarify or complicate the wines for producers and buyers.

The appellation covers 343 hectares across three villages, divided into 73 lieux-dits. Marcel Guigal told Decanter that growers voted on a classification proposal in 1983, with three quarters opposing it. Stéphane Ogier said the idea resurfaced after he joined his family estate in 1997, but growers again failed to reach agreement. One difficulty, the article reports, is finding an authority with enough expertise to draw up a map and no commercial stake in the result.

Ogier sketched a hypothetical system that would give some sites above Ampuis grand cru or premier cru status, with other northern and southern vineyards also considered. Patrick Jasmin offered a different way to identify strong sites, based on where snow melts first. But Pierre Burgaud told Decanter that a lieu-dit may include varying soils, soil depths and exposures; its boundaries may follow roads or old estate lines rather than a uniform terroir. A reliable classification would therefore require a new map, the article argues, with potential for disputes among growers.

The question also intersects with Côte-Rôtie’s tradition of blending. The article notes that single-vineyard bottlings are increasingly common, while Burgaud makes one Côte-Rôtie from parcels blended together. It also cites Jean-Paul Jamet’s decision to bottle a La Landonne parcel separately only rarely, because the wine can be austere on its own. Decanter’s commentary suggests that ranking sites could encourage more small-lot wines without necessarily making the region easier to understand.