Original price tag, this Crozes-Hermitage is really remarkable (I believe La Guiraude is a special cuvée?), meaty, smoky, classic aged French Syrah, long finish, amazingly this was the most ready to drink of these wines I’ve been posting tonight, and the favorite of at least one of our 6 tasters tonight!! With all that said, if anyone has bottles of this wine, it’s fully mature. — a month ago
I picked up a couple C-H wines last month and this is my second bottle to open following Jaboulet’s Thalbert.
Followed over two days. 91-92 initially, finished at 92-93. Still some room for upside, so scoring accordingly.
From start to finish this was undeniably a more enjoyable wine than the Jaboulet. Day one was a potpurri and floral overload aromatically before ripe dark fruits and green herbs shut it down hard with a wall of tannin at the finish (similar to the Jaboulet). Day two showed what this wine is evolving to be…a softer aromatic profile but so much depth on the mid-palate with lavender, charcoal and dark berries before a finish of black peppered meat. The wine feels well balanced by acid and tannin and the alcohol isn’t obtrusive. Not quite crunchy, but bright and powerful. Lovely C-H from the Chapoutier team. Could cruise another 5+yrs in this same drinking window. — a month ago
Fruit and earth and heme and amazing tannins and just a hint of Brett. Quite lovely though. Could certainly have aged longer but I didn’t feel like waiting. — 2 months ago
Similar notes, starting to resolve a bit. Alcohol levels are keeping it somewhat unbalanced at the moment. Frankly it’s only getting better, wish the alcohol was a bit lower. — 17 days ago
Wagyu Shin — 2 months ago
Randy Fuller
This wine has a medium-dark ruby color in the glass. The nose is what I always look forward to in a Syrah. The big cassis note, the faint earth note, the slight herbal note. The combination of mint, eucalyptus, dirt, and funk provides the perfect backdrop to that dark purple juice. The palate is as big and bold as one might expect, maybe bigger and bolder. Dark fruit flavors are buried in a savory mound of earth and herb. The tannins are firm. I’m going to make a rib eye steak before this bottle becomes empty. — 10 days ago