List of products by brand Joseph & Philippe Roty

October 2015 tragically saw the death of Philippe Roty at the ridiculously early age of 46, scarcely more than a decade since he took over from his father, the eponymous Joseph. The Domaine continues to be overseen by Madame Roty, Joseph’s widow, whilst PierreJean, Philippe’s brother, will take a more central role as well as continuing in the vineyards as previously. Always in the background, Pierre-Jean was happy to let Philippe look after front of house although during harvest he has been involved in the key vinification decisions for many years now. A ten minute stint in the vineyard with Pierre-Jean is like a masterclass in vineyard husbandry – fascinating and, in true Roty style, wonderfully down to earth with no truck given to passing fads and unproven techniques. When we visited in early December, Pierre-Jean was at great pains to point out that nothing has changed, nor will it change – Domaine Joseph Roty is a family effort, and the family remains strong, albeit with different faces.

The wines surprised us in tasting, defying the vintage – charming, opulent and rich, they all but wrote their own tasting notes and left us with smiles on our faces. At one point I was moved to write, mid-note ‘These wines are good!’ There is no Marsannay Champs St Etienne from Philippe’s personal vineyards this year as the fruit was sold to a négociant, and in future vintages it will be amalgamated into the Joseph Roty cuvée. Pierre-Jean describes the vintage as a ‘millésime de garde’ – a keeper – suggesting that even the humble Pressonnier would benefit from up to ten years storage. We are somewhat more conservative with our estimated drinking dates, but, knowing how the Roty wines develop, we will be prepared to eat our hats in a decade’s time when he is proved right!