From: Northern Rhône, France
Varietals: 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier
Tasting Notes: The Jasmin wines are noted for their velvety Burgundian texture and richesse. Typically, a bouquet of violets and red fruits precede a palate of darker Autumn fruit with cooler granitic notes over a framework of fine-grained tannins. Although surprisingly approachable on its youthful fruit (and this is definitely true here; we were shocked at how open this wine was when we opened it), it cellars well for a decade and far longer in finer vintages. Sumptuous, velvety, and mineral at the same time, this lovely wine will please a wide range of palates and pair with a myriad of cuisines.
Pairing: In doubt, go for simple recipes highlighting excellent produce—grilled meats, vegetables, Asian cuisine, and really, anything that leans into umami. Classic recipes like beef bourguignon or mushroom-heavy fare are easy home runs on the pairing front. Also, you can lean into heartier meat (like the porchetta-inspired pork chop recipe we’re sharing below) or vegetable dishes with Mediterranean spices or flavors familiar to the wine, like cherries, spices, bacon fat, herbs, and pepper.
Porchetta Pork Chops
By Melissa Clark
About. The Jasmin family, originally from the Champagne region, started in Côte Rôtie, not on the steep hillsides but in the kitchen of Château d’Ampuis. Alexandre Jasmin moved his family to the area when the position of Chef was offered to him. At the time, Ampuis was already known as the heart of Côte Rôtie, and Alexandre did not want to miss out on his chance to be part of the local culture. When the opportunity to purchase the vineyard adjacent to Château d’Ampuis presented itself, he jumped at it.
Alexandre’s great-grandson, Patrick, four generations later, continues the family’s winemaking tradition. Patrick’s father, Robert, is identified as being the one who raised the domaine’s level of quality to new heights before his untimely death in 1999. Today, the 40-something-year-old Patrick maintains this quality and signature finesse of the Jasmin family’s wines. The only thing that Patrick does differently from his father and grandfather is to de-stem the Syrah (and the special Serine clone of Syrah found in some of his vineyards) before it goes into the fermentation tank. Everything in the steep vineyards and the cellar is done by hand, and aging is in primarily neutral barrels of various sizes.
The Jasmin wines are counted among the few that most faithfully capture Côte Rôtie’s unique character. They are, in John Livingstone-Learmonth’s words, “the bridge between Burgundy and the Rhône.”
This wine. Patrick Jasmin's Côte-Rôtie, a traditional 95% Syrah - 5% Viognier blend, comes from 11 parcels spread throughout the appellation. This wine is raised for 18 months in barriques and demi-muids, a small proportion of which are new as older barrels are replaced on rotation.
The name 'La Giroflarie' distinguishes this principal cuvée from a special cuvée called 'Olea' that Patrick first made in 2015. La Giroflarie is a historic name for the Côte Baudin lieu-dit.
Hand-harvested Syrah grapes undergo a very traditional fermentation and 3-week cuvaison in cement vats (since 1996, the grapes have been de-stemmed, which has improved color). The grapes from Patrick's 8 different lieu dits are vinified separately before blending at the end of December. The wine is then aged for up to 2 years in oak barrels (up to 25% being new, originating from France, Russia & the USA). Half of the wine is racked into 228-litre barrels and half into 590-litre demi-muids. There is no fining and only a light filtration. Approximately 23,000 bottles are produced in a typical vintage. 12.5% ABV
