Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2016

The Domaine Alain Graillot has now been given two étoilés (stars) and become the highest rated Crozes Domaine in France’s leading wine guide, Revue du Vin de France’s Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France. Not that anyone truly needed this confirmation! It does however confirm the great work being done by Alain’s sons, Maxime and Antoine, who are now their father’s right and left arms. With an average vine age of 40+ years, the Graillot terroirs are now humming on all cylinders. Gnarled, yet manicured vines (mostly planted in 1973) reach up from a sea of smooth, rolled stones, each about the size of a child’s fist. Organically managed, these vines are on the terrasse des Chassis in Pont de I’lsère, where the ‘soil’ was formed by alluvial deposits of sand, gravel, and smooth river stones. Graillot also utilises fruit from a little Crozes parcel on a granitic hillside at Mortiers et les Chaux planted on the terraces at Larnage in 2003. In regards to the winemaking, the grapes are loaded (without destemming) into lined concrete vats and temperatures are brought down to 18°C for a two to five day pre-fermentation maceration. The fermentation relies on natural yeast and, once this is finished, the wine is aged for one year in mostly 1-3-year-old 228L Burgundian barrels purchased from some of the top estates in Burgundy.

"(30 hl tronconic oak vat, bottling Jan 2017) **** dark robe. Has a good, deep nose, piled up black cherries, some damp and meaty notes, acetate lurking. The palate presents black cherry, crunched fruit, acetate. This has body, structure, dark tannins, late juice, has good potential, ends with a pebbly texture.

(used 228-litre oak cask, bottling Jan 2017) **** dark robe. Has a generous, ripe black fruits aroma, menthol present - the bouquet leaves a long trail. There is a good, generous offer on the palate which features stylish black fruits, comes with dark, tar moments, and a rich prune and mocha flavour. This is chunky, the depth is good, and it can become a polished wine. To 2029. From spring 2019." John Livingstone-Learmonth, DrinkRhone.com

Country: France
Region: Rhone Valley
Sub Region: Crozes-Hermitage