Winemaker Notes
Vibrant pale yellow with an expressive nose of orchard fruit. Medium-bodied on the palate with considerable presence and a long finish.
Delicious with goat cheese and shellfish and seafood dishes.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A seductive, well-rounded and flavorful blend of 80% roussanne and 20% marsanne. The nose exhibits notes of apples, dried lemons, wild herbs and hints of verbena following through to a medium body with moderate acidity. Attractive texture with bitter almond character and pear-like finish.
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Wine Spectator
Glossy in feel, with notes of green plum, apricot, melon and dried flowers underscored by smoke and flint on a plump frame. A brush of oak polish gives the finish a flattering edge. Ripe and lush, yet with great cut and salty mineral elements for balance. Roussanne and Marsanne.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 80% Roussanne and 20% Marsanne and aged 9 months in French oak, the 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc offers pear, sappy herbs, honeyed fresh apple, and a kiss of salinity. Medium-bodied and nicely balanced on the palate, it stays fresh and pure, with an elegant character. It's best enjoyed over the coming 4-6 years. Drink 2025-2030.
Full-figured and charmingly floral, Viognier is one of the most important white grapes of the northern Rhône where it is used both to produce single varietal wines and as an important blending grape. Look for great New World examples from California, Oregon, Washington and cooler parts of Australia. Somm Secret—Viognier plays a surprisingly important role in the red wines of Côte Rôtie in the northern Rhône. About 5% Viognier is typically co-fermented with the Syrah in order to stabilize the color, and as an added benefit, add a subtle perfume.
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.