History
Family property taken over in 1978 by Mr. Louis Chèze. The Louis Chèze Winery is located on the top of the hillside of the commune of Limony, on the right bank of the Rhône, 60 Kms south of Lyon, in the heart of the Côtes du Rhône Septentrionales vineyard. Mr. Chèze started the adventure with 1 Ha of St-Joseph and a few vines to rent. Today the estate represents 45 Ha on the prestigious appellations such as Condrieu, St-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie and Vins de Pays.
Since the year 2000, he is one of the forerunners with two winegrower friends to revive the fabulous Roman terroir of Seyssuel. Louis' determination, curiosity and rigour are of the utmost importance when it comes to monitoring the vineyard and making the wines. Each vintage is a questioning in order to obtain the quintessence of the terroirs. Numerous vintages with their particularities will delight the epicurean in you.
AOP Condrieu “Brèze”
Cuvée made since the 1996 vintage, it is a 2 hectare plot of land located in the Limony hills, with a southern exposure. The parcel of Brèze is located in the middle and bottom of the hillside.
Soil Geology
Old granite and alluvium from the Ice Age.
Grape Variety
100 % Viognier, 30 years old, yield between 25Hl/Ha and 32 Hl/Ha.
Vinification
The vineyard: Reasoned vineyard management, spurting, green harvesting and manual harvesting. Selective sorting of the grapes on the vine, picking in 10 kg crates.
The winery: Berry sorting on a vibrating table, pressing, settling, then alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrels with stirring on the lees.
Ageing
New barrels and casks of 2 to 3 wines for 8 to 10 months depending on the vintage. Bottled without filtration in a single bottling.
Organoleptic characteristics
- Visual appearance: Fine gold color, crystal clear.
- Olfactory appearance: Complex aroma, apricot, honey.
- Taste: Firm and sharp, followed by a very balanced aromatic burst, and concluded by a long taste combining the honeyed side and the mineral side.
- Serving temperature: 8 to 11 °C.
- Food/wine pairing: Ideal as an aperitif, Lobster thermidor, white meat.
- The vintages: Always wait a few months after bottling and drink within 2 to 4 years. For the purists, let age in order to fully appreciate the tertiary aromas of the Viognier.