Domaine Alain Graillot - Crozes-Hermitage red 2020

Wine Region: Rhone Valley- France

Grape: 100% Syrah

Tasting notes: 

This world-renowned red Crozes-Hermitage is Alain Graillot's principal wine in terms of production, and hails from mature Syrah rootstock on the 'Les Chassis' plateau. It has an intense black fruit bouquet and plump palate of dark, hedgerow berries, a good palate-cleansing acidity and fine-grained tannins.

Expert Rating

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski, janv. 2022) : 89-92/100. I tasted three different lots of the 2020 Crozes Hermitage, picked at very different ripeness levels. One, picked on August 23 at just 11.7 degrees of potential alcohol, was light-bodied, with paper-like tannins but charming, cherry-like fruit. Another, picked September 8–10 at 13.8–13.9 degrees, shows more weight, velvety richness and darker-fruit flavors. The bulk was picked somewhere in between, with lively purple raspberry fruit, a crisp, medium-bodied feel on the palate and a bright, vibrant finish.

About the Winery

In France’s Northern Rhone Valley, there are few names as revered as Graillot. It was in 1985 that the late, legendary Alain Graillot, who after working with the venerable Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac, came back to his home in Crozes-Hermitage to start his own domaine. With each passing year his devotion to the art of making hauntingly delicious Syrah from his organically farmed, stone-laden vineyards, was rewarded with an ever growing and highly dedicated following around the world. Alain’s sons Maxime and Antoine have been in charge since 2008, continuing the legacy set forth by their father. All the work is still completely the same as it ever was: hand-harvesting, organic farming, whole-cluster fermentation, and aging the wines primarily in 1-to-3 year old barrels purchased from some of the top estates in Burgundy. In great years, the domaine also makes tiny quantities of a barrel selection knows as “La Guiraude,” a rare and remarkably complex wine of particular distinction. The domaine’s status as one of the top addresses in all of France is without question and the entire lineup are must-haves for any serious Northern Rhone fan.