Winemaker Notes
The nose is very fragrant, with accents of smoke and notes of gunflint and ink, which, only after a few minutes in the glass, give way to notes of candied black fruit, violet, licorice and a hint of olive and spice. The palate, meanwhile, is marked by intense flavors of cherry, blueberry and fruitcake, sharpened by a spicy touch of pepper. This is a bold, powerful wine with a serious tannic structure structure that frames a long, penetrating finish.
Pair this wine with rare or medium-cooked games, marinated meats and spicy stews.
Vegan-Friendly
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2021 Hermitage Domaine Des Tourettes is a clear standout in the lineup and is going to be a rock-solid Hermitage. Darker raspberries, cassis, classy oak, saddle leather, and some meaty notes all define this beauty, and it's medium-bodied on the palate, with a balanced, elegant profile. It shows the fresher style of the vintage, yet the tannins are ripe and present, the balance is spot on, and it has good intensity as well. It's going to be approachable in its youth but, I suspect, also evolve gracefully.
Barrel Sample: 91-94 -
Decanter
Some weight of fruit here underneath the measured clove oak. Smooth, ripe, with well-balanced acidity, this has a good sense of balance and elegance. Fresh, with plentiful cinnamon spice and forest berry fruit that's just-ripe, neither over nor under. A fairly compact, early-drinking Hermitage, not a powerful one, but one that has some natural class.
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James Suckling
Very complex nose with notes of candied orange, cocoa powder and spice. Remarkably harmonious for the vintage with almost silky tannins, then comes an intense flinty character that gives the slightly sweet finish so much excitement. Matured entirely in oak barrels with about one quarter new, but only for 12 months.
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Vinous
The 2021 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes shows well despite the challenging vintage. One reason is that all the grapes that were not used for the Hermitage parcellaires went into this cuvée. Utilizing 25% new oak and the remainder up to fourth-fill during maturation, the 2021 sports a delicious floral lift alongside exuberant red fruits, cedar, spice-box and hints of crushed rocks. Culminating in a savory finish, the 2021 totally delivers.
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.”
One of the smallest and most important Syrah regions of northern Rhone, Hermitage is practically one single south-facing slope of crushed granite, thinly covered with varied, yet well-charted soil types. Many climats (well identified parcels) exist within Hermitage and while some smaller producers make single climat Syrahs, some larger ones blend to make one balanced expression of the appellation.
Though the AC regulations allow the addition of up to 15% white grapes to a red Hermitage, in practice it is usually made from Syrah alone. Winemaking is pretty traditional—or you might say historic—with hot fermentations and aging in older barrels of various sizes. The best wines, characterized by deep, dense and sexy flavors of black fruit, cocoa, licorice and tobacco, have massive textures and a solid 10-20 years aging potential.
The region of Hermitage is totally enclosed; the only place it could go really is to literally fall down its own hill into the city of Tain or the Rhone River. Soil erosion is a problem and terraces exist alongside the hill in order to keep the earth in place. Crozes-Hermitage encloses the region entirely to its north and south.
While Hermitage seems synonymous with some of the best Syrah on the planet, actually about one third of the wine produced here comes from white grapes. The full, lush and robust Marsanne or the less common, but almost more charming, Roussanne create wonderful whites in which the best have great potential for aging, like the reds.