In the 1980s, Guigal’s powerful, glossy Côte-Rôties caught the eye of Robert Parker. His reviews propelled the appellation on to the global stage, but obscured an older story. For years before that, a handful of traditional growers, including Emile Champet, had been quietly striving to keep old-school Côte-Rôtie alive. Champet stuck to his guns, never chasing the Guigal style. Three generations have now worked the same vines on the steep slopes of the Côte Brune. They are still classically styled, long-lived, and more about elegance than power.
