Alain Graillot, Syrah, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, France 2021

100% Syrah from organically-farmed, 30+ year old vines.

100% Whole Cluster. Indigenous yeast. Fermented in concrete. Aged in 1-3 year old barrels.

Spice-tinged aromas of fresh dark berries and violet carry a subtle smoky note. Juicy and nervy on the palate, seamless and extremely persistent finish. Full bodied but fresh and lifted, it's a wine that offers both immediate pleasure and also plenty of unfolding complexity as the wine evolves in the cellar or opens up in the decanter.

In France’s Northern Rhône 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 Rhône fan.