Wines
Domaine Jean-Michel Stephan
Rhône (Côte-Rôtie)
Organic Practices
Jean-Michel is a rising star. As someone who tires to be organic at every turn, Jean-Michel is planting massale-selection Serrine whenever possible. At present, his vineyard is around 60 percent clone, 30 percent Serrine and 10 percent Viognier. The last is also being regenerated and at Verenay he has planted 500 young Viognier cuttings grafted from an old massale plant. In the vineyard upkeep, Jean-Michel picks the soil around the wood of the older vines and cuts the weeds on the surface. The steep slopes are ploughed by hand. “I make wines on the fruit, without sulphur,” he states. “I want fruit and maximum freshness.”
“A young producer who has just under 12 acres of vines, Jean-Michel Stephan is a mystical winemaker, eschewing any kind of yeast, chaptalisation, enzymes, or even sulfur.” - Robert Parker, Jr.
Jean-Michel with son