Jamet

Jean-Paul Jamet began making wine alongside his father Joseph in 1976.

He left school to start working with his parents in the family business. Together, they developed the vine-growing and wine-making work, but Jean-Paul quickly took the initiative and made decisions. With the experience of making forty wines, he was convinced that the beauty of the wines lay in the terroirs. Having been away from any successive methods, he promoted the different expressions of Côte Rôtie to increase their complementary features.

Like wine, tin which expression develops over time, Domaine Jamet is there for the long term.

By continuing traditional practices, the Jamet family manages the vineyard on the upper slopess of Ampuis. Corinne, who joined the operation in the early 1990s, mainly manages the front office of the domaine. In contact with customers, she takes time to sample bottles, showing the work done by the team in the domaine and discuss the shared passion for wine. As for Loïc, his elder sister Fanny and his brother Dorian, he is now taking part in decision-making and works alongside his parents. After studying viticulture and oenology in college, and many other diverse and enriching experiences, Loïc Jamet completed his learning in other countries by immersion for several months in South Africa. A cultural, vine-growing and wine-making environment so very different from French methods, he took part in wine-making, discovered different work methods and refined his palate by tasting typical South African wines. Theory and practice now allow him to take his first big steps in the cellar of the Domaine. And so it is in the spirit of a wish to communicate a feeling of trust and a willingness to merge that Jean-Paul told his son Loïc about developing a Condrieu, under the Domaine Jamet name.     

Balance, consistency and knowledge sharing are the key words for this family.

Domaine Jamet respects the terroir and a passion for wine in its work, in the heart of the Côte Rôtie hills.

From the village of Ampuis, drive four kilometres towards the hills until you reach Domaine Jamet. This lovely drive allows you to appreciate the steep slopes of the Côte-Rôtie hills. These are the wonderful terroirs that give their character to this glorious nectar. 

The Domaine Jamet lies on a plateau, known as "Le Vallin", with a fabulous view where Mont Blanc and the Alps can be seen in good weather. Entering the storehouse, nature and simplicity seem to be the Jamet family's key words, focused on the artisanal nature of the place. This is where Jean-Paul, his wife Corinne and, more recently their elder son Loïc cultivate vines and wines with a passion.

Bottles with character, such as those of Domaine Jamet, are the result of work on a terroir and especially by a man. Over time spent walking the hillsides of Côte Rôtie, Jean-Paul followed his instinct and built on his convictions. And so, he vinified the wines of Domaine Jamet for the fortieth year.

Grown on steep hillsides and terraces set out on terraces in what are commonly called "chayets", the vines evolve on a sub-soil mainly composed of schist and to a lesser extent granite. In view of the exceptional nature of the land, it is essential for Jean-Paul Jamet and his family to respect this heritage always.

In order to benefit from all that nature can offer, Jean-Paul considers that he and his team practise sustainable viticulture.

Respectful of the vines and the soil, the vineyard workers at Domaine Jamet work throughout the year with a minimum of intervention. Watching as the vines develop is crucial and Loïc is quick to take action.

Moreover, as Jean-Paul is in the habit of saying, growing vines in the mountains in this way commands respect.  Indeed, cultivating vines on the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley teaches one humility in the face of the magnificent and challenging natural landscape that produces the singular expression of Côte Rôtie.

Domaine Jamet wines have always reflected the character of their maker and creator: Jean-Paul.

In his view, a certain complementarity exists in the different expressions of the Côte-Rôtie terroir. This is the reason why the work involves understanding and reflection, in order to integrate these various identities perfectly within the assemblage. He often says that "some parcels provide elegance, while others determine the structure: it is the assemblage that makes everything bigger".

The image of Côte Rôtie is also one of finesse, freshness and balance. Jean-Paul is convinced that the wines reveal all their meaning and complexity after a period of safe-keeping. He therefore takes the long view in developing his wines.