Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 2019

Now with two stars in France’s leading wine guide, Revue du Vin de France’s Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France, this is the highest-rated Crozes Domaine and reaffirms the great work being done by Maxime Graillot. With an average vine age of between 40 and 50 years, the Graillot terroirs are now humming on all cylinders. Organically managed, gnarled and manicured vines reach up from a sea of smooth, rolled stones like the hands of an old vigneron. They are rooted on the Terrasse des Chassis in Pont-de-I’lsère, where the ‘soil’ was formed by ancient alluvial deposits of sand, gravel and river stones.

With regards to the winemaking, the organically farmed grapes were loaded (crushed without destemming) into lined concrete vats for a two- to five-day pre-ferment maceration. After a natural yeast fermentation, the wine was aged in used François Frères barriques (between one- and seven-year-old) purchased from some of the finest estates in Burgundy. Since the 2011 vintage, 20-hectolitre Stockinger ovals have also begun to play a quiet, yet growing, role.

Born from low yields, the 2019 is a wine of considerable depth and intensity of flavour. Swirling aromas of fresh black and blue fruits are tinged with violet, black olive and pepper. The palate is full of verve and silky concentration, balanced by fine structure. There’s real energy here and despite the grape’s thick skins, the tannins are rounded. It’s going to age very well yet it’s already seductive. Stunning!