Vignobles Levet

Vignobles Levet traces its roots to 1936, when Christophe Chambeyron, Nicole Levet's grandfather, began cultivating vines in Ampuis and selling his wine in barrels to cafés in the industrial city of Saint-Étienne. The domaine remained a bulk producer for three decades until Marius Chambeyron, Nicole's father, made the pivotal decision to bottle under his own label in 1966. Bernard and Nicole Levet assumed control in 1983, a year celebrated for the quality of its Côte-Rôtie vintage, and immediately set about expanding both vineyard holdings and cellar capacity. That same year, the estate entered its long-standing partnership with Rosenthal Wine Merchant as the exclusive US importer, a relationship that has endured to the present day.

• Founded 1936 by Christophe Chambeyron; wine sold in barrels to Saint-Étienne cafés
• Estate bottling introduced in 1966 by Marius Chambeyron
• Bernard and Nicole Levet took control in 1983, expanding vineyard and cellar
• US import partnership with Rosenthal Wine Merchant established 1983

Agnes Levet represents the third generation of active management at Vignobles Levet, joining the estate and assuming responsibility for both the vineyard and cellar in 2004. Her arrival marked a continuity of the family's traditional approach rather than a reinvention, with Agnes deepening the commitment to indigenous Petite Sérine clones, manual farming, and long elevage. She is also the creative force behind the domaine's label artwork. Bernard and Nicole remain involved alongside Agnes, making this a working family operation in the fullest sense. Production stays deliberately small, with annual output of 12,000 to 15,000 bottles ensuring that every parcel receives meticulous attention through the steep, terraced growing season.

• Agnes Levet has led vineyard and cellar management since 2004
• Agnes serves as both winemaker and label artist for the domaine
• Bernard and Nicole Levet remain actively involved in the family operation
• Annual production held to 12,000 to 15,000 bottles across all cuvées

The 3.5 hectares farmed by Vignobles Levet are divided among six distinct parcels spanning both of Côte-Rôtie's famous slopes. On the iron-rich, schist-dominant Côte Brune, the estate holds Chavaroche (1.2 ha, approximately 40 years old), La Landonne (0.33 ha, old vines), and Font Jean (0.15 ha). On the more granitic, mica-flecked Côte Blonde, the holdings include Les Craies (0.5 ha, old vines) and Mollard (0.33 ha). A further 0.4 ha parcel called Moulin sits directly below the celebrated La Turque vineyard. The domaine is certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE), and all harvesting is performed by hand given the impossibility of mechanical access on the steep, terraced sites.

• Chavaroche: 1.2 ha on Côte Brune, approximately 40-year-old vines, granite-schist soils
• La Landonne: 0.33 ha of old vines on Côte Brune in one of Côte-Rôtie's most revered lieux-dits
• Les Craies: 0.5 ha of old vines on Côte Blonde
• Domaine holds HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) environmental certification

Winemaking at Vignobles Levet is rooted in traditional Côte-Rôtie technique with little concession to modern convenience. Fermentation takes place in epoxy-lined cement tanks using the Petite Sérine clone of Syrah, with whole clusters retained at up to 50 percent of the total, and maceration periods running to three weeks. After fermentation, wines move into a combination of foudres, demi-muids, and small barrels for 30 to 36 months of elevage, with new oak intentionally limited to 10 to 15 percent to preserve the character of the site. Wines are bottled without filtration. Agnes Levet has been unambiguous about the cellar requirements of her wines, which she considers to need a minimum of 10 to 15 years before reaching their peak.

• Fermentation in epoxy-lined cement tanks with up to 50 percent whole clusters and three-week macerations
• Aging runs 30 to 36 months in foudres, demi-muids, and small barrels; new oak capped at 10 to 15 percent
• All wines bottled without filtration
• Petite Sérine (Sérine) clone of Syrah used throughout the domaine

In an appellation increasingly shaped by large négociant houses and international investment, Vignobles Levet represents the authentic small-grower tradition of Côte-Rôtie at its most uncompromising. With fewer than 1,250 cases produced per year and parcels scattered across both the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, the domaine offers a rare opportunity to track the differences between Côte-Rôtie's two contrasting slopes in a single producer's lineup. The La Chavaroche and La Landonne-sourced cuvées have attracted scores of 96 to 98 points from prominent critics for recent vintages, placing them alongside the appellation's most celebrated names at a fraction of the production volume. For students of the Northern Rhône, Levet's approach, centered on Petite Sérine, whole-cluster fermentation, and minimal new oak, is a textbook illustration of what defines classic, terroir-driven Côte-Rôtie.

• Fewer than 1,250 cases produced annually, making Levet one of Côte-Rôtie's most sought-after small growers
• La Chavaroche 2020 and 2021 scored 96 to 98 points across multiple critical sources
• Single-producer lineup spans both Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, enabling direct terroir comparison
• Exclusive use of Petite Sérine clone and traditional whole-cluster methods make the domaine a reference point for classical Côte-Rôtie style