Ampuis domaine making Syrah and Viognier across Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Seyssuel.
The producer
Graeme Bott came from New Zealand to the Northern Rhône in 2010 to discover Syrah. He trained for eight years at Domaine Stéphane Ogier, where he met Julie, French born in the region. They founded their domaine in Condrieu and planted vines across Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Seyssuel. Based in Ampuis, the domaine works with schist and granite terroir and produces Syrah and Viognier. Crozes-Hermitage Rouge and Blanc form part of the range.
Known for
Northern Rhône Syrah and Viognier
Notable facts
Graeme Bott moved to the Northern Rhône in 2010 to discover Syrah.
He trained for eight years at Domaine Stéphane Ogier, where he met Julie.
The domaine is based in Ampuis and plants vines in Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Seyssuel.
Côte-Rôtie production comes from two parcels in Tupin Semons.
Annual production is approximately 150,000 bottles.
The story
The First Côte Rôtie Parcel
When Graeme and Julie Bott acquired their first Côte-Rôtie parcel, the hillside site had no vines. It was a barefoot piece of ground, but they treated it as a grand cru site, a precious opening for the domaine's future. They called it the first bit of their dream and the first parcel they were able to own in Côte-Rôtie. Their Côte-Rôtie production now comes from two parcels in Tupin Semons, in the south of the appellation.
From the atlas
Domaine Graeme & Julie Bott
A Northern Rhône domaine based in Ampuis, with Syrah and Viognier across Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Seyssuel.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Northern Rhône
Base
Ampuis
Appellations
Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Seyssuel
Main grapes
Syrah and Viognier
Defining practice
Vines planted sur échalas
The Producer
Graeme Bott moved from New Zealand to the Northern Rhône in 2010 to discover Syrah. He trained for eight years at Domaine Stéphane Ogier, where he met Julie, who is French born in the Northern Rhône region. After deciding to work together, they founded their domaine in Condrieu.
The estate spans 7 hectares across multiple Northern Rhône appellations, while total land controlled is 30 hectares, with 10 owned and 20 under contract. Annual production is approximately 150,000 bottles. Their early work began with hand planting vines and using their garage as a makeshift cellar.
Place
Ampuis is the domaine's base, with plantings across Condrieu, Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Seyssuel. Côte-Rôtie production comes from two parcels in Tupin Semons in the south of the appellation.
The vines are planted sur échalas, with individual stakes paired in an inverted V shape for stability. The domaine works with schist and granite terroir and aims to let those soils express themselves through the wines.
Wines
The range includes Crozes-Hermitage Rouge and Crozes-Hermitage Blanc alongside Syrah and Viognier from the Northern Rhône. Both Crozes-Hermitage wines are grown on round gravels with silt and sand soils.
Crozes-Hermitage Rouge has an aging potential of 5 years from the vintage. Crozes-Hermitage Blanc is fresh, pure, focused and bright, with pear and white peach fruit, a medium body and a long finish. Its aging potential is 5 to 10 years.
Final Word
The domaine won first prize in the Winemakers & Terroirs of the Future Competition and was rated three stars by Bettane+Desseauve.