Wine for sale: Vignobles Levet

Here is one of the more understated names of the Côte-Rôtie. Domaine Levet has a superb selection of heritage Petite Serine vines (an old variety of the Syrah grape). The wines are vinified traditionally and are characterised by a powerful profile.

This family-run property was established in 1929 and has passed through four generations. Marius Chambeyron, who was a market gardener and from the second of these generations, planted vineyards on a number of lieux-dits including La Landonne. Today, Agnès Levet has fine-tuned the winemaking and continues to tend these superb plots in the heart of Côte Blonde and Côte Brune. 55% of the parcels were planted before 1953. One of the varieties cultivated here is Petite Serine, an ancient type of Syrah which produces lower yields and smaller, better-spaced clusters. The domain has practised massal selection (taking cuttings from old vines to propagate new vineyards) since the 1990s. The Levet's wine shop is in the centre of Ampuis, opposite the church.