Syrah VdF 2023

Wine description for Syrah VdF 2023 by Maison Stephan

Colour & appearance

Medium purple with violet reflections, slightly transparent – a wine that reveals its youthful exuberance right from the glass.

Nose

A Syrah that strikes that rare glou-glou nerve: invigorating freshness with abundant red and dark fruit – blackberries, red and blackcurrants, blueberries. Alongside notes of mint, violet and cool stony minerality.

Palate

Juicy, refined and distinctly youthful. Fresh acidity and light tannins provide the wine’s backbone. It offers flavours of mint, liquorice, black olives, grilled herbs – and above all, fruit, fruit and yet more dark fruit.

Finish

Clean, fresh and fruit-driven, with a delicate herbal spice on the aftertaste – a finish that leaves the palate refreshed.

Terroir & origin

The grapes come from three terroirs in Condrieu, Verin and Roussillon – comprising alluvial soils, granite and glacial moraines. Maison Stephan, the father-and-son estate run by Jean-Michel and Romain Stephan, has been cultivating steep plots in the heart of Côte-Rôtie since 1991 and is regarded as one of the most exciting addresses for natural viticulture in the Northern Rhône.

Grape variety & vinification

100% Syrah. Made in the spirit of Jules Chauvet: a cool 24-hour pre-fermentation maceration, followed by carbonic maceration for ten days and eight months’ maturation in vat. The wine was neither filtered, fined nor sulphured.

Food pairings

Served lightly chilled, this is an ideal wine for charcuterie and grilled sausages, alongside herb-crusted lamb chops or a ratatouille-style vegetable stew. Equally delightful with pizza topped with black olives or pasta with aubergine.

Special features

A Syrah that proves the variety can also be light on its feet: unsulphured, unfiltered and unfined – yet despite its natural approach, it displays a vibrant purity. At just 12.5% alcohol, it offers an accessible introduction to a domaine whose Grand Vins have long achieved cult status.