Winemaker Notes
Dark, red with garnet highlights throughout. The nose is lovely with notes very ripe red fruits, blackcurrant and licorice. The palate is similar to the nose, and is ample and solid, while displaying a long and lingering finish.
Great with roasted meats or grilled vegetables. Also pairs well with wood-fired pizza, pasta, casseroles and stews.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers comes from site just to the west of Hermitage, and this cuvée is always a more Hermitage-like, structured wine. While I think the soils here (broken granite) are brilliant, the downside of this vineyard is that it lies in the shade most days and only gets afternoon sun. It produces a big, burly wine that needs bottle age, and top vintages can evolve for over two decades. The 2019 has pure cassis, graphite, and peppery aromatics as well as a rich, full-bodied, concentrated style on the palate. I love its tannins, the balance as well as the purity of fruit are spot on, and this is another beautiful Crozes Hermitage that would pass undetected in a lineup of top Hermitage. Give bottles 5-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
Rating: 95+ -
Wine Spectator
Dark and muscular, this simmers with ripe black fruit and spiced plum filigreed with black pepper, cumin, dried olive and singed rosemary. While supple and approachable now, a core of graphite and fine tannins mean this will benefit from cellaring.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Crozes Hermitage les Varonniers features intense aromas of cherries and vanilla, plus hints of cassis and pencil shavings (it aged in 20% new oak, with 70% in barriques and 30% in demi-muids). Full-bodied, dense and rich, it's firmly tannic, with a long, dusty finish. Set it aside for a few years before pulling the cork.
No name is more closely associated with the greatness of the Rhone valley than Chapoutier.
The history of the Chapoutier family stretches back to the early nineteenth century when current owner Michel Chapoutier's great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased an estate and some vineyards in the now famous village of Tain l'Hermitage in the Northern Rhône Valley. Marius Chapoutier made history in the region when he became the first grape grower there to vinify his own fruit. Marius had tasted wines other winemakers produced using his fruit and he realized that something was lost in translation, so to speak. He knew that he owned some of the best growing sites in the appellation and he believed — rightly — that the grapes grown in his vineyards could produce long-lived world-class wines. In a move unusual at the time, he decided that he should make the wine himself. Not only did the quality of the wines increase greatly, but this move provided the capital to expand the Chapoutiers’ already legendary estate.
A visionary and pioneer in biodynamic winemaking, his restless energy and unconditional commitment to quality have produced tremendous success, with the most 90+ point ratings of all Rhône producers and 16 "100 point" rated wines.
Sothis Gin is distilled from grapes and plants grown near the vineyards. This family domaine is cultivated using biodynamic practices in which plants play a central role. In their wild state they offer M. Chapoutier a better understanding of the soils. When used in vine treatments they help to nourish plant life and support plant growth. They have selected a few of these plants in order to offer a new perspective of their terroirs, the story of a gin originating from the Tain l’Hermitage vineyards and their floral heritage. They have been honing this recipe for many months under the watchful eye of Sothis, the star and also the ancient Goddess who teaches us that cultivating the land is a means of moving closer to the stars.
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.