At the very top of the hill overlooking the northern Rhône town of Ampuis, you’ll find the modest yet rising-star estate of Christophe Billon. Since 1991, Christophe has crafted honest, authentic Syrah wines from these steep, terraced vineyards. His family’s roots go back generations in Ampuis; the family’s oldest parcel of vines was planted by Christophe’s grandfather in 1942. The family crafts four Côte-Rôtie cuvées, each generously structured and stunningly pure, and each a faithful representation of the power and purity of these “roasted slopes.”

A selection of fruit from four separate parcels. ‘Le Goutay’ and ‘Combard’ are located in the ‘Blonde’ side of Côte-Rôtie, with more granite and quartz soils; ‘Les Moutonnes’ and ‘Côte Baudin’ in the ‘Brune’ side, with schist-mica soils. Hand-harvested. Destemmed; fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks. Aged for 22 months in older French oak barrels (one- to two-year old barrels). Aromas of black cherries, raspberries, pepper. Fullbodied and deep; present yet fine-grained tannins. Red meat or autumn stews; aged French cheeses