Domaine Clusel-Roch

The Clusel family's vineyard history in Ampuis begins with Baptiste and Marguerite Clusel, who planted the parcel now known as Les Grandes-Places in 1935. Their son René Clusel and his wife Joséphine farmed the land from the 1950s into the 1980s, growing vegetables and fruit trees alongside their Côte-Rôtie vines, and selling their wine in bottles at a time when the appellation had not yet built its current reputation. Côte-Rôtie itself had been prosperous from antiquity into the early twentieth century but was largely abandoned after the First World War, its hillsides overgrown with broom, shrubs and even oak trees pushing through old drystone walls. René and Joséphine's son, Gilbert Clusel, joined the family domaine in 1980 after finishing his studies and began clearing and replanting long-abandoned vine terraces. When René Clusel retired, the domaine comprised three and a half hectares of vines, fruit and vegetable production ended, and the Grandes-Places fruit began to be bottled separately. It was at this point that the estate took the name Clusel-Roch, reflecting the partnership of Gilbert Clusel and his wife, Brigitte Roch.

• Baptiste and Marguerite Clusel planted Les Grandes-Places in 1935, the family's founding vineyard parcel
• René and Joséphine Clusel farmed vegetables, fruit trees and Côte-Rôtie vines from the 1950s through the 1980s
• Gilbert Clusel joined the family domaine in 1980 and began reclaiming abandoned vine terraces
• At René's retirement the domaine held 3.5 hectares; the Clusel-Roch name followed Gilbert Clusel's marriage to Brigitte Roch

Guillaume Clusel, son of Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch, has worked the family vines since 2009. In that same period he introduced a third Lyonnais appellation to the estate, planting and farming AOC Coteaux du Lyonnais parcels in Millery and Grigny, cultivated organically like the rest of the domaine. Gilbert and Brigitte retired in 2021, and Guillaume now holds full responsibility for the domaine, supported by a team. Beyond wine, Guillaume has had the estate's grape marc distilled since 2017, some aged in barrel and some infused with fruit or herbs; for this project he partnered with Gaëlle Bonnefond, who also serves as commercial manager for Maison Clusel-Roch. French company registry records for the Clusel-Roch company (SIREN 802391516) show Guillaume Clusel registered as gérant (manager) since May 27, 2014, and Gaëlle Bonnefond registered as co-gérante since September 12, 2023.

• Guillaume Clusel, son of Gilbert and Brigitte, has worked the family vines since 2009
• He introduced the domaine's AOC Coteaux du Lyonnais parcels in Millery and Grigny, farmed organically
• Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch retired in 2021, after which Guillaume took full responsibility for the domaine
• Since 2017, Guillaume has partnered with Gaëlle Bonnefond on a grape marc distilling project; company records show her registered as co-gérante since September 12, 2023

The domaine's Côte-Rôtie vines lie in the north of the appellation, on a terroir of ferrous mica-schist. The rock is close to the surface, with only about fifty centimeters of soil above it, yet vine roots drive down through the rock itself for several meters in search of nutrients. Vine density on the estate exceeds 8,000 vines per hectare. The terrain on the steep Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu slopes rules out heavy machinery, so work is done almost entirely by hand; on the steepest parcels, plowing is done with a plow drawn by a cable winch. Rather than replant with commercially available clonal selections of Syrah, which the domaine considers too productive for its terroir, all new plantings in Ampuis use massal-selected cuttings grafted from the estate's own old 'serine' vines, the traditional Ampuis biotype of Syrah. This practice of on-site grafting from the domaine's own selections has been in place since 1990. The estate does not use chemical fertilizer, spreading composted manure by hand instead.

• Côte-Rôtie vines sit on ferrous mica-schist in the north of the appellation, with roots penetrating several meters into the bedrock
• Vine density exceeds 8,000 vines per hectare; steep terraces are worked by hand, with cable-winch plowing on the steepest parcels
• All new Ampuis plantings use massal-selected cuttings grafted on-site from the domaine's own old 'serine' Syrah vines, a practice dating to 1990
• No chemical fertilizers are used; composted manure is spread by hand

The domaine's Côte-Rôtie vines have been farmed organically since the late 1990s, with official organic certification following in 2002; the domaine's vineyards are certified by Alpes Contrôles. The estate's other vineyards, in Condrieu, Coteaux du Lyonnais, Côtes-du-Rhône and Vin de France, are also certified organic. In winter the soils are left naturally covered in grass cover, which the domaine credits with improving soil structure and supporting microbial life and erosion control; plowing, mounding and hand-hoeing continue through the middle of summer to keep grass from competing with the vines. Treatments are limited and applied according to the needs of the vintage, using sulfur, Bordeaux mixture, and plant-based preparations.

• Côte-Rôtie vines farmed organically since the late 1990s; official certification followed in 2002, certified by Alpes Contrôles
• All the domaine's vineyards, across Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Coteaux du Lyonnais, Côtes-du-Rhône and Vin de France, are certified organic
• Soils are left grassed over winter to support soil structure and reduce erosion
• Treatments are limited and vintage-dependent, using sulfur, Bordeaux mixture and plant-based preparations rather than synthetic chemicals

Domaine Clusel-Roch's current range centers on Côte-Rôtie, with the cuvées Les Schistes, La Viallière, Le Champon, Les Cinq Lieux and Les Grandes Places. The estate also produces a Condrieu (Verchery), a Côtes-du-Rhône (Les Vergers), several Coteaux du Lyonnais bottlings (Traboules, Galet, Le Clos, Les Pessiaux), a range of Vin de France cuvées (Traboules, Sur le Mont, La Bergerie, L'Hecto, Rouge Serine), and, from the marc distilling project Guillaume Clusel began in 2017, a Vieux Marc, an eau de vie de marc made from raisin, and several fruit- and herb-infused marcs. Les Grandes Places is bottled from the founding parcel planted in 1935.

• Current Côte-Rôtie cuvées: Les Schistes, La Viallière, Le Champon, Les Cinq Lieux and Les Grandes Places
• The estate also bottles a Condrieu (Verchery), a Côtes-du-Rhône (Les Vergers), Coteaux du Lyonnais wines and a Vin de France range
• The domaine's marc range includes a Vieux Marc, a raisin eau de vie, and several fruit- or herb-infused marcs
• Les Grandes Places, from the 1935 founding parcel, remains the estate's benchmark heritage Serine bottling

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.clusel-roch.fr/, https://www.clusel-roch.fr/la-vigne, https://www.clusel-roch.fr/les-vins, https://www.clusel-roch.fr/agriculture-biologique. Secondary sources: French company registry (societe.com, SIREN 802391516), Oenotourisme.com. Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.