Winemaker Notes
Bright ruby red in color, this wine has expressive notes of red fruits and spices with supple tannins.
Pair with guinea fowl with seasonal vegetables.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of black and green pepper in the nose, but also lots of blackberry fruit. Impressive concentration and full supple tannins that give this considerable power at the long velvety and earthy finish. Excellent aging potential, and that's rare in this vintage. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert is pretty and elegant, with medium-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries, truffly earth, and peppery herbs. It's nicely balanced, has juicy, integrated acidity, and outstanding length. It's an undeniable success in the vintage.
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Wine Spectator
Taut and racy, in line with the leaner vintage, marked by smoked incense and meat notes layered with crunchy red currant and lavender. Reveals charred apple wood accents that add roundness to the palate, while generous salty mineral and graphite elements line the finish.
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.