Winemaker Notes
Ogier Crozes-Hermitage Les Paillanches is deep red in appearance. A powerful nose of black fruits (blackcurrant and cherry) accompanied by notes of violet licorice typical of the floral nose of Crozes-Hermitage. The palate is all in power, a racy and structured wine. The concentration of this vintage masks a little the terroir in its youth but can not leave indifferent.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This red is very expressive, with white pepper, steeped cherry and plum fruit and dried bay leaf notes mixed together, carried by fresh acidity and backed by a hint of cast iron on the finish. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
Blueberry compote, toasted allspice and anise perfume this plummy, pepper-tinged Syrah. Ripe in style and approachable in fruit, the deeply blackberried, supple red is calibrated by fresh acidity and lingering notes of earth and leather. Soft tannins make it welcome young but it will hold nicely through 2030.
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.