Duclaux

History of Domaine Duclaux

The history of Domaine Duclaux began in 1928, when Frédéric Caillet, great-grandfather of the current owners, took over a centuries-old vineyard nestled on the steep hillsides of Tupin-et-Semons, in the south of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. For several decades, production was sold to négociant houses, as was customary in the northern Rhône Valley. It was not until the 1970s that Edmond Duclaux, father of the current winemakers, took the step of bottling the entire production at the estate, from 1978 onwards. It was under his impetus that the domaine gradually built its reputation, benefiting from the spectacular rise of Côte-Rôtie wines during the 1980s.

David Duclaux joined his father in 1993, upon graduating from the Lycée viticole de Bel-Air, and was subsequently joined by his brother Benjamin in 2001. Since 2015, the two brothers have been solely in charge of the family vineyard. Their ambition is clear: to produce elegant, precise Côte-Rôtie wines faithful to the identity of the southern part of the appellation. The estate is regularly praised by the specialist press (Guide Hachette, Terre de Vins, Le Figaro Vins, Wine Enthusiast), which highlights the consistency, finesse and purity of their wines, never marred by excessive ageing.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Duclaux

The vineyard of Domaine Duclaux extends over 5.8 hectares of particularly steep hillsides, located in the communes of Tupin and Semons, at the southern tip of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. The singularity of the terroir lies in its gneiss bedrock, typical of the southern part of the appellation, which gives the wines a mineral, fine and taut signature, distinct from the schist terroirs further north. The plots are arranged on narrow terraces, held in place by imposing stone walls (the famous cheys) that the winemakers carefully maintain, testaments to a viticultural heritage built over the centuries.

The grape variety is dominated by Syrah, the king cépage of Côte-Rôtie, complemented by a proportion of Viognier that brings fragrance and delicacy, in keeping with the tradition of the appellation. The estate also produces a Condrieu from a few plots planted with Viognier. All cultivation is done by hand: pruning, bud removal, trellising and harvesting are carried out with exacting rigour, over deliberately limited surface areas in order to preserve quality. Yields are kept in check (around 25 hl/ha for the single-vineyard cuvées) to guarantee optimal aromatic concentration and perfect grape ripeness.

Vinifications at Domaine Duclaux

In the cellar, Benjamin and David Duclaux favour a balanced approach — neither interventionist nor minimalist in the extreme — faithful to their conviction that the best decisions are the most measured ones. The manual harvests are destemmed at 90 or 100% depending on the cuvée, then macerated for approximately three weeks in temperature-controlled concrete vats, sometimes open-top for the single-vineyard cuvées. Fermentations are carried out with great care in order to preserve the fruit and the natural freshness of the wines, without seeking excessive extraction.

Ageing generally lasts twenty months, in Bordeaux barrels and 500-litre demi-muids, with a controlled proportion of new oak (from 20 to 40% depending on the cuvée) so that the wood never masks the expression of the terroir. The wines are neither fined nor excessively filtered, and bottling takes place under conditions of complete transparency. This signature, combining vibrant fruit, silky tannins and well-integrated oak, gives the Côte-Rôtie wines of Domaine Duclaux a recognisable elegance and a fine capacity for ageing, often beyond ten years.

The Cuvées of Domaine Duclaux

Côte-Rôtie La Chana: a cuvée made from young Syrah vines, complemented by approximately 7% Viognier, which brings roundness and fragrance. Vinified to express fruit with delicacy and minimal extraction, it is enjoyed on notes of fresh red fruits, violet and gentle spices. Aged primarily in demi-muids, La Chana offers a silky, indulgent palate of great accessibility from an early age, ideal for discovering the estate's airy style.

Côte-Rôtie La Germine: the estate's historic entry-level cuvée, produced from 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier, sourced from several plots in the south of the appellation. The grapes, 90% destemmed, are vinified in concrete vats and aged for up to twenty months in French oak barrels (including 20% new oak) and demi-muids. The wine seduces with its bouquet of wild berries, flowers and pepper, its fine, fleshy and long palate, perfectly representative of the elegance of the gneiss soils.

Côte-Rôtie Maison Rouge: a single-vineyard cuvée and the flagship of the estate, produced from 100% old Syrah vines, planted on average more than fifty years ago in the Maison Rouge sector. The yield is limited to 25 hl/ha, maceration lasts three weeks in concrete vats, and ageing extends over twenty months in barrels and demi-muids (with 20 to 40% new oak). The result is a Côte-Rôtie of great purity, both concentrated and refined, blending black fruits, liquorice, smoky game and a menthol finish of impressive persistence.

Côte-Rôtie Coteaux de Tupin: a rare and exclusive cuvée, produced only in certain vintages, sourced from an emblematic sector in the south of Côte-Rôtie. A pure expression of Syrah on gneiss, it stands out for its silky concentration, deep fruit and a distinguished mineral signature. Highly sought after by collectors and discerning enthusiasts, it represents one of the finest expressions of the Duclaux brothers' expertise.

Condrieu Les Caillets: the estate's only white wine, this Condrieu was born in 2014, as a tribute to Frédéric Caillet, the founder of the domaine. Produced from 100% Viognier, it offers a flattering aromatic nose, blending apricot, white peach, white flowers and a hint of candied citrus. The palate, ample and elegant, retains a remarkable freshness and a fine mineral tension, making it a great gastronomic Condrieu, faithful to the chiselled and precise style cultivated by Benjamin and David Duclaux.