Adress: Les Châssis 26600 MERCUROL
Country: France
internet: http://www.gillesrobin.com/
Wine district: Vallée du Rhône
wines
An important history and family heritage
Domaine Gilles Robin is born from the passion of Louis Pasquion (great-grandfather of Gilles) for the vines. In 1920, he decided to buy a beautiful 1.24 hectares’ plot and to produce a wine for his own consumption. Wine amateur, he made a very good choice with this first parcel as the quality of the grapes is, at best years, equal to the beautiful Hermitage. This is the reason why Albéric Bouvet, great-grandfather of gilles, regularly received traders who wanted to get a portion of his production to elaborate their top cuvees. And in 1926, Albéric, also a wine lover, decided to slightly develop the estate and started to study the complexity of the Syrah grapes. He initiated new winemaking processes such as the vinification of the best grapes in demi-muids. Michel, Gilles’ father, was born in this environment of wine passionates and brought a fabulous dynamism. In 1965, he acquired 2-3 hectares and began a long work in the vineyards from replanting to developing the domain through the acquisitions of new terroirs. In 1996, when Gilles took over the estate, the total property was 10 hectares.
Today Gilles Robin Estate owns a 40 years old vineyard on average which has always been treated with a great respect of the nature. Ploughed soils, use of compost and organic fertilizer, 100% manual works, organic manure, always natural and respectful of the environment. Nothing has changed in the traditional methods used by the past generations. Owner of a 15 hectares’ property, the estate perpetuates the family tradition based on a constant research of the maximal complexity of Syrah grapes. Pursuing this goal, the estate uses Syrah grapes on the Crozes Hermitage Appelation and also on a magnificent terroir in Saint Joseph. Moreover, it also owns old vines of Marsanne grapes to get even further into this fabulous adventure in Rhone Valley.
A permanent work on the Syrah varieties’ complexity
Very early, Gilles Robin Estate decided to age its best wines in old oak barrels (demi-muids). First the grapes’ quality has been the major focus for every generation. Then it appeared that, depending on plots, Syrah varieties had various expressions and strong potential differences. So many plots were singled out to express at best their own character during vinifications. Thanks to long years of soil analysis and separate aliquots’ vinifications, the domaine defined precisely the character of every single vine and terroir, especially those whose where finesse, elegance and intensity are unique.
Gilles Robin’s work is dedicated to the revealation of the various characteristics of the Syrah varieties. Terroirs play a major role in the expression of the Syrah grapes. Gilles often says that “there is not a unique Syrah but rather a full spectrum of characteristics and potential expressed by Syrah varieties”. From a fruity Syrah to an intense, deep and spicy Syrah, Gilles Robin Estate puts major efforts on two key aspects of the creation of a unique wine: first the vinification, which is the perfect time to reveal the potential of every single plot. Then the blending, which requires a unique expertise and that enhances considerably the potential of each cuvee.
Since 1920, the Estate has been constantly refining its work on new terroirs in order to get an even better expression of every single Syrah variety. Today, the Estate has singled out 4 different plots (vinified and aged separately) on two appellations from the Northern part of the Rhone Valley: Crozes Hermitage and Saint Joseph.
