Domaine Jocelyne et Yves Lafoy - Côte-Rôtie - Prélude - Red - 2023

Wine:

From the prized slopes of Ampuis, between the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, the 2023 Red Côte-Rôtie Prélude commands attention with its perfect balance of ripeness and oak. This is a beautifully made Syrah, with expressive aromas of ripe black fruit and spice. The palate is precise, concentrated, and shows the full character of the vintage without excess—just depth, clarity, and poise. Rated 94/100 by our Selection Committee. A serious wine with clear aging potential—one to secure while it lasts.

Vinification:

Hand harvested, completely destemmed. Aged for 20 months in barrels, 10% of which are new and 90% are one to four wines old.

Color:

Intense, bright red.

Nose:

An expressive bouquet blending black fruits and spices.

Palate:

This beautifully mature wine reveals careful aging, offering fresh tannins on the palate and a subtly smoky finish.

Temperature:

Serve at 14–16°C.

Food and wine pairing:

Grilled or slow-cooked cuts of red meat, ribeye steak, pepper steak.

Cellar aging:

From now until 2030

A historic family estate in Ampuis, Lafoy is now one of the names to watch in the Rhône Valley.

With Gaëtan Lafoy at the helm, the wines have gained clarity and freshness, guided by a move to organic farming and a focus on definition over power. Each wine is made with a light hand, offering purity, finesse, and gentle oak aging that supports rather than dominates. The result is wines that are both expressive and easy to drink, without sacrificing structure.

The French wine guide RVF highlights Lafoy as one of the Rhône Valley’s most promising estates—still under the radar, but not for long.