Winemaker Notes
Granite slopes rather than flatlands give Saint Cosme’s Crozes-Hermitage greater structure and complexity. The wine shows classic aromas and flavors of black fruits, smoked bacon, black peppercorn, and incense.
Syrah, with its deep flavors and firm tannins, is a natural match for grilled or smoked meat and dishes featuring herbs, roasted mushrooms, and onions. Seared venison or beef with black pepper and thyme or a Moroccan tagine of pigeon or chicken are complimented by the spicy characteristic of Syrah.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Despite a hot, dry vintage, this expression of the Northern Rhône by the Southern Rhône luminary Louis Barruol highlights the crystalline minerality and smoky, earthen spice of Crozes-Hermitage. Made from 100% Sérine, the aromatic, complex local variance of Syrah, it's easy and approachable in fruit yet delightfully finessed. Delicious young, the wine should maintain peak through 2028.
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Wine Spectator
Nicely rendered, with a mix of juicy red cherry and dark plum fruit flavors backed by black tea, warm stone and sanguine accents. Focused and pure, iron-edged finish leaves a mouthwatering feel, while the finish is unencumbered by any toast. Lovely.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Crozes-Hermitage is a ripe, medium to full-bodied Crozes offering wonderful purity in its darker berry fruits as well as ground pepper and earthy goodness. With fine tannins, terrific balance, and lots of character, it’s well worth seeking out.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blueberries, black cherries and black olives all mingle easily on the nose of Saint Cosme's 2019 Crozes Hermitage. It's a big, fruit-driven offering, medium to full-bodied, but it also shows excellent depth as it supports the fruit with ripe, supple tannins and a long, velvety finish. Drink it over the next few years for its sheer exuberance.
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.