This Crozes-Hermitage is one of the best value wines we could wish to see. It is elegant, complex, subtle and balanced with a concentrated core of red berry fruits, laced with appropriate levels of nuanced oak. It is outstanding and will make you wonder if the step up to Hermitage is one you need to take...!
Made exclusively from Syrah grapes, the vines for this wine are grown in two zones close to the hill of Hermitage. One is on the north-east of the outskirts of the town of Tain l'Hermitage (right outside the hill of Hermitage) and the other is ten kilometres away in the southern reaches of the appellation, giving the perfect balance of fruit in the resulting wine - warmth and freshness.
The two vineyards are made of limestone and sand; the grapes are (unsurprisingly) hand harvested before very gentle extraction and fermentation, which takes place over a three week period in large open oak vats. Ageing in barriques is for about 16 months and gives a platform for the fruit to show perfume and charm, rather than giving the wine any oak-ily dominant flavours that would overpower it.
This is a stunning red from one of the Northern Rhône's top producers.
If you like the idea of Hermitage or Côte Rôtie but balk at the prices, then this is for you. If you only want to buy one really, really good bottle of French red, then, again, this is certainly for you. It's even from a very famous village itself.
This champion wine-maker of the Rhône produces some of the most exclusive wines in the region. Cuilleron knows exactly what each plot is able to yield in terms of quality, style and character and in that regard is a master of all of the vines he tends. This wine is made from the best selection of vines on the hills next to the most famed sites in the Rhône, and they are a selection found only on shallow, sandy, granitic soils that are so special to Saint Joseph. This base provides a superb platform for the grapes to ripen with minimal intervention from the vineyard team, who, in truth, only fertilise when necessary with organic fertilisers and don't even spray with insecticides. The result is this wonderfully complex, rich and pure varietal wine that is then treated like royalty (in the positive sense). It has a slow fermentation of about three weeks in open-top fermenters before being transferred to barriques where malolactic fermentation takes place during its 18-month ageing, providing the wine with some oak flavour, but, better still, balance, complexity and space for the delivery of its charming character. A very special wine with totally integrated, mild tannins - perfect for drinking now and for up to a decade.
"Labaya" is not a reference to a group of non-drinking chums called Pete, but instead refers to the traditional dry-stone walls that are a significant feature of the region, where they support the steeply-terraced vineyards.
2023 presented a number of climate-related challenges in Europe, the Rhône included. A very dry winter, heavy spring rains and a colossal heat-wave in the summer.These factors meant that winemakers had to adapt and react constantly in order to protect the vines and grapes. However, they're not attending their prèmiere rodeo and the quality of grapes was outstanding, largely helped by a dry and warm (if very quick) harvest. Those growers such as Cuilleron with vines in higher altitude sites were blessed by a large diurnal range, keeping colour and acidity, sugars and size all in balance in each of the bunches of grapes. It was at times a wild vintage, but there is good volume of wine and the quality is very fine indeed.
Philippe Pellaton, President of Inter Rhône, notes: “Weather conditions were more chaotic in the North than in the South of the Rhône Valley, leading to a shorter harvest. That being said, both quality and quantity are there, throughout the region. The 2023 vintage for the wines of AOC Côtes du Rhône and the Rhône Valley Vineyards appears to be a great vintage for blending: full, dense, balanced and with lovely acidity levels.”
Want to drink from the Hill of Hermitage but haven't got the deep pockets just right now? Don't worry - this is for you!
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Grape(s): Syrah
Style: Svelte, Structured, Pure, Organic, Medium Full, Iconic, Fresh, Fleshy, Dark, Complex
Best food matches: Venison, Tuna, Tapas, Steak, Roasts, Red Meats, Poultry, Mature Cheeses, Hard Cheeses, Grills, Fine Dining, Cheeses, Charcuterie, Beef, Barbecue
Alcohol: 12%
