Domaine Stephane Ogier
As with many vineyards in Cote Rotie, Domaine Stephane Ogier is a family-run establishment and has been since its inception.
Located in the Northern Rhone, Domaine Stephane Ogier produce their wines in a traditional way, while not shying away from experimentation, finding the perfect blend of tradition and modernity.
A Taste of Domaine Stephane Ogier
Stephane Ogier seems to have been born to be a wine producer. The estate he now owns has been in his family for years and it’s safe to say that wine has always been his passion. He knows the ins and outs of wine production and uses this knowledge to his advantage in order to produce over a dozen critically praised vintages since joining the estate in the late 90s.
While the Ogier family has farmed in the Rhone Valley for generations, they originally started out as fruit farmers. Michel Ogier, Stephane Ogier’s father, was growing grapes and selling them to major Rhone producers until 1987, when he began producing and selling his own.
After studying viticulture and oenology in Burgundy, Stephane Ogier took over the Domaine in 1998. He soon began using his knowledge of the wine world and wine production to advance his family estate’s reputation throughout France and the world. Until Stephane took over the Domaine, it had been called Domaine Michel Ogier, but after he joined the family business, the estate was renamed Domaine Michel et Stephane Ogier, or M&S Ogier d’Ampuis, for the town in which it is located.
In 2003, the cellars were completely renovated, and temperature controlled fermentation vats were added, allowing the estate to continue producing its signature wines while advancing their production process.
As of 2014, the wines produced on this estate were all sold under the name Domain Stephane Ogier, officially signifying Stephane Ogier’s control. Ogier is young, likeable and knowledgeable about his craft, all of which helps to advance the reputation of his wines and estate.
When the estate began in 1987, about three acres were planted under vine. From the 1990s onward, the estate began to expand by purchasing a 2-hectare vineyard in Condrieu, as well as others in Cote Rotie. In 2016, Domaine Stephane Ogier owned about 16 hectares of vineyards, while also establishing a negociant business, which helps to support smaller vineyards by selling wines under his name and reputation.
Over 50% of the wines produced are from Cote Rotie, 24% are from IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, 12% from Condrieu, 5% from Saint-Joseph and 5% from Cotes du Rhone Villages Plan de Dieu.
Domaine Stephan Ogier is primarily a red wine producer, with 76% of the grapes grown being Syrah grapes and 17% being Viognier.
The estate produces about 1,600 cases per vintage of its signature Cote Rotie wines.
Wines from Domaine Stephane Ogier were previously made in the traditional way, but Ogier is not one to shy away from experimentation. Stephane has made it his mission to bring the estate into the modern era, while maintaining some of the traditions that have brought the world of wine production to this point. Through his methods of wine production, Ogier has found a way to produce popular wines that hearken back to a more traditional time.
The estate’s newly built cellars contain stainless steel fermentation tanks that are about 20 to 30 hectolitres each. Some wines are aged in oak barrels and partially destemmed. Syrah and Viognier grapes are co-fermented on the estate.
Stephane Ogier is particularly well known for its Cote Rotie wines, which are the mainstay of their production. Their Cote Rotie wines, made exclusively from Syrah, are aged in new oak barrels for about 18 months, but the exact time frame can vary, depending on the vintage being made.
Ogier’s estate has been described as one of the best artisanal wineries in France, with a variety of wines that can either be drunk early or aged over several years. His wines have earned high praise the world over and it is easy to see why once you’ve tasted them.
From this producer, we have selected for you the 2005 Michel & Stephane Ogier Cote Rotie. This is a complex, full-bodied, dry red wine with both floral and peppery notes.
