Saint-Peray
Controlled appellation
Ongrie
Renamed Ongrie for the 2015 vintage, this wine first created in 1984 was initially called Cuvée Boisée and then Terres Boisées, referring to winemaking and maturation in barrels on lees, for which Alain Voge was the pioneer in Saint-Péray, thirty years ago. At that time, the majority of Saint-Péray’s production was made according to the traditional method and winemaking was done in vats. Prior to the French Revolution, Ongrie was written without an H. The origin of this name is linked to a tannery activity established at this site in medieval times, reputed for its special processing of leathers using ointments (from the Latin word “ungere”, meaning to oil or to grease).
The entire domain is cultivated using organic and biodynamic viticulture.
TERROIR
The vines, approximately fifty years old, are planted on very old alluvium of the Rhône enriched with granite colluvium. The presence in the soil of limestone and clay elements explains the minerality and particular freshness of this wine.
2023 VINTAGE
One more challenging vintage regarding the weather conditions: 2022 was hit by draught as 2023 was hit by stormy rains, and hail in special areas like Saint-Pierre.
The early and virulent mildiou caused almost 25% loss on the Saint-Péray Marsanne. Things were under control at the end of July, then came a sudden and brutal heat, drying the leaves and the grapes with acidity falling down. On August 15th, the plenteous rain will unlock it all.
After a focused sorting of the harvest grapes, the fermentations will take place in an easy way. The juices will show surprisingly fresh and gourmand.
This vintage signature will be confirmed in the wines a few months later…
OUR VINE GROWING AND WINEMAKING
• Organic certification for the vines and wine in the 2009 vintage and biodynamic methods used.
• Marsanne vines trained and pruned in the Gobelet style and supported by stakes.
• Hand-picked harvests.
• Winemaking using traditional yeasts, exclusively in 228-litre and 400-litre oak barrels, with 20% new oak.
• Maturation on fine lees for 13 months.
• Amount of sulphite reduced: 78 mg/l total SO2 (150 mg/litre authorised in organic winemaking).
• Production: 6.290 bottles
• Ageing potential: 5/7 years.
THE ATMOSPHERE…
The dish:
Tureen of curry-flavoured poultry dumplings.
The chef:
Pierre Orsi, at the “Cazenove” restaurant, Lyon 6e.
… COMMENTS
2023 Vintage: “The 2023 Saint-Péray Ongrie was derived from vines planted in cool, clay soils with 50- to 60-year-old Marsanne. Evoking an exotic, ripe bouquet of mirabelle, ripe orchard fruits, confit citrus and flowers, it's round and has a medium to full-bodied structure, elegant, phenolic dry extracts and gastronomie bitterness that segue into a long, powerful, saline and spicy finish. Matured in equal parts 400-liter barrels and 228-liter barrels, of which 20% are new, it will require a bit of patience.”
Johan Castaing, WINE ADVOCATE (21/01/2025): 92/100
