Winemaker Notes
Spice-tinged aromas of fresh dark berries and violet carry a subtle smoky note. Juicy and nervy on the penetrating, seamless and extremely persistent finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A driven, balanced , flavorful, textural and lively Crozes-Hermitage, showing aromas of dark cherries, spiced plums, wild herbs and warm spices. It's medium-bodied with fine tannins. Superb texture and balance here with a long, succulent and vivid finish. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
Fermented with 100% whole clusters, the 2023 Crozes-Hermitage displays ripe red fruit tones, stemmy touches and pencil shaving, licorice and cedar aromas. Medium- to full-bodied and fresh, the 2023 is shaping up to be a delicious red Crozes-Hermitage. A long, defined finish wraps it up.
Range: 91-93 -
Wine Spectator
An old-school style, offering animal, leather and forest floor notes layered with a burst of fresh plum. Shows freshness and drive, with camphor, salty iodine and iron minerality stretching out on the medium-bodied finish. Drink now through 2030. 5,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Crozes-Hermitage is Northern Rhone’s largest appellation, surrounding the steep granite faces of Hermitage to its north and south. Here the rolling vineyards are less extreme and its soils, rich in clay-limestone and alluvial matter, produce Syrahs that range from fruity and charming to lush and seductive. The Syrahs of Crozes-Hermitage have more mass than those from St. Joseph but are less intense than those from Hermitage. While many are intended for early consumption, some of the best Syrahs from Crozes-Hermitage will age beautifully for 5-10 years.
Up to 15% of white grapes may theoretically be added to red Crozes at the time of fermentation but whether this is done or not depends on the decision of the winemaker. The best Crozes-Hermitage Syrahs will be fleshy with black fruit (currant, blackberry and black cherry) and bay leaf qualities, notes of tar and stone, and a well-concentrated finish of smooth tannins.
About a tenth of the wine produced in Crozes-Hermitage is white, primarily composed of Marsanne supplemented by smaller amounts of Roussanne.