In a continuing effort to find great-tasting, moderately-priced wine the theme for the Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton was Crozes-Hermitage. This AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) is located in the Northern Rhone region of France, adjacent to the very prestigious Hermitage AOC. Wines from Hermitage can cost $150 or more, “big bucks” to quote George. Since most of us can’t afford that for a bottle of wine, George and Gail have found some affordable wines from Crozes-Hermitage for us to try.
Let’s start with the AOC of Hermitage. It is only 336 acres in area. Located on the side of a hill above the village of Tain l’Hermitage, it’s terraced vineyards have granite sands, clay and alluvial stone soils as well as the favored southern exposure along the Rhone River. The hill protects the vineyards from strong north winds. So the combination of great location and very limited acreage combine to make wines from Hermitage so expensive.
The village of Crozes-Hermitage is less than two miles north of the AOC of Hermitage. Crozes-Hermitage was declared an AOC in 1937 and at that time applied only to the village of the same name. It was expanded geographically in 1956 to include 10 surrounding villages. It is the largest AOC in the northern Rhone at 3565 acres. It now surrounds the Hermitage AOC to the north, east and south.
As you might expect with an appellation the size of Crozes-Hermitage, the soil types are varied. They include granite, clay, sand and pebbles. Because Crozes-Hermitage is located on the north side of the hill designated as Hermitage, it does not have the same protection from the sometimes fierce north winds as do the vineyards of Hermitage. In contrast to Hermitage which is located entirely on the south side of a hill, the Crozes-Hermitage AOC contains hilly and well as flatter geography.
Both red and white wines are produced in Crozes-Hermitage. The reds from Syrah and the whites from Marsanne and Roussanne. Red wines may have a maximum of 15% white blended into them. Many of the red wines have good potential for aging. We tasted only red wines in this tasting, all 100% Syrah as far as I could determine.
Because young Crozes-Hermitage wines can be very tannic, George double decanted the wines an hour before the tasting. Double decanting in this instance means pouring the wine from the wine bottle through the funnel into the glass decanter, then pouring the contents of the decanter through the funnel back into the bottle. To achieve maximum aeration, George used the very sophisticated decanter and funnel pictured below. Yep, that right it’s a mayonnaise jar, Hellman’s for those of you east of the Mississippi and Best Foods for those of us in the West.
Our assignment for the evening was to choose our favorite wine.
2009 Domaine des Martinelles Crozes-Hermitage $25.50 This dark ruby wine had caramel, smoke and dark fruit scents. Flavors of dark fruit, black pepper and spice combined with lots of acidity and a fairly light body. The finish was very long and tannins were significant and a bit grippy. Big tannins make it a better companion with food. Made from 100% Syrah from a vineyard in the village of Gervans, north of the village of Crozes-Hermitage. This was the group’s second favorite wine.
2009 Domaine St. Clair Ètincelle Crozes-Hermitage $25.50 Dark purple in the glass with a very ripe dark fruit nose. The dark fruit flavors are a bit sweet and combine with cedar and great acidity. The weight in the mouth is light in spite of significant tannins. The finish is dominated by tannins. This 100% Syrah is inky dark and looks so young in the glass.
2009 St Claire La Fleur Enchantée Crozes-Hermitage $31.50 Once again, very dark ruby in color with a bit of violet around the edge of the glass. Very young looking in the glass. The nose had a bit of smoke in addition to dark ripe fruit. Flavors of dark fruit and a hint of sweetness combine with a bit of tobacco and once again very significant tannins. The body is light and the finish is fairly long.
2009 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Les Jalets Crozes-Hermitage $30. Very dark ruby in the glass with dark fruit scents. Dark fruit, spice and tobacco flavors combine with great acidity and very significant tannins to create a very complex wine. Complex flavors combined with significant tannins give this wine great aging potential. Best with food.
2007 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage $32. Intoxicating nose of dark fruit, smoke and cedar. Spicy dark fruit flavors and cedar combine with good acidity and significant, but smooth tannins to produce a very well-balanced wine. This wine has lots of flavor. Flavors and tannins have come together nicely. An example of what can happen with age. It is great on its own and would be a great companion to food. This was the favorite wine of the group.
2010 Alta Colina Toasted Slope Estate Syrah $38. Inky dark in the glass with an obvious very ripe fruit and vanilla nose. Sweet dark fruit flavors, black pepper and significant drying tannins produce a riper, fruity wine. Fruit is much more obvious in this California Syrah and the style stood out in this group of wines. Yes, George threw us a curve ball, but we hit it out of the park. Most of us recognized this as a New World wine.
These wines all had lots of fruit flavor, some were a bit more complex than others. The tannins and acidity in this group of wines were remarkable. All had ABV in the range of 12.5 to 13%, with the exception of the California Syrah which came in at 15.5%. Another great example of how there is a wine for every palate and preference.
It’s not difficult to spend a lot of money on wine. There are plenty of very expensive wines available, and many of them are excellent. The difficulty lies in parting with your hard-earned money. And why spend more than you need to? It is so much more rewarding to find a moderately-priced wine that is also excellent. There are several examples in this group of Crozes-Hermitage.
Cheers!
