Domaine Clusel-Roch

In Ampuis, Baptiste and Marguerite Clusel planted the parcel known as Les Grandes-Places in 1935. Their son René Clusel and Joséphine Clusel 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 Côte-Rôtie did not yet enjoy 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 low walls. René's son, Gilbert Clusel, joined the family domaine in 1980 after finishing his studies and began clearing and restoring old, abandoned vines. 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. At the same point 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
• 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 clearing and restoring old, abandoned vines
• At René's retirement the domaine held 3.5 hectares; the Clusel-Roch name reflects the partnership of Gilbert Clusel and his wife Brigitte Roch

Guillaume Clusel, son of Gilbert Clusel and Brigitte Roch, has worked the family vines since 2009. From 2009 he introduced a third Lyonnais appellation to the estate, AOC Coteaux du Lyonnais, in the communes of Millery and Grigny, farmed 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 the infused marcs he partnered with Gaëlle Bonnefond, who is also commercial manager for Maison Clusel-Roch. In the Clusel-Roch company (SIREN 802391516), Guillaume Clusel has been gérant (manager) since May 27, 2014, and Gaëlle Bonnefond 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; Guillaume now holds full responsibility for the domaine
• Since 2017 Guillaume has had the estate's grape marc distilled, partnering with Gaëlle Bonnefond on the infused marcs; she has been co-gérante of the company 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. 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 mostly manual; 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 Syrah of Ampuis, selected in the Grandes Places vineyard. This practice of on-site grafting from the domaine's own selections has been in place since 1990. The estate uses no 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; work on the steep slopes is mostly manual, 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 conversion since 2002; the vineyard is 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 stay naturally grassed, which supports microbial life in the soil and helps against erosion; plowing, mounding and hand-hoeing continue through the middle of summer to keep grass from competing with the vines. Treatments are kept to a minimum and follow the needs of each vintage, using sulfur, Bordeaux mixture and plant-based preparations.

• Côte-Rôtie vines farmed organically since the late 1990s; official organic conversion since 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 stay grassed over winter, supporting soil microbial life and reducing erosion
• Treatments are limited and vintage-dependent, using sulfur, Bordeaux mixture and plant-based preparations

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 Guillaume Clusel began in 2017, a Vieux Marc, a grape eau de vie de marc and several fruit- and herb-infused marcs. Les Grandes Places is bottled from the Grandes-Places vineyard 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 grape eau de vie de marc and several fruit- or herb-infused marcs
• Les Grandes Places comes from the vineyard planted in 1935, the one that supplies the domaine's massal selections

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 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.