| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Rhône > Northern Rhône > Crozes Hermitage |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Lastly, the 2020 Crozes Ermitage Les Varonniers comes from a cooler, granite terroir just beside Hermitage. All destemmed Syrah brought up in 20% new French oak, it's slightly tight and closed aromatically yet has solid purity in its darker, cassis and currant-like fruit as well as truffly earth and gunpowder nuances. This ripe, powerful, structured Crozes has all the right stuff, yet it might take a decade to hit maturity. The alcohol here is a sound 13.5% with a pH of 3.8. It's most likely the Crozes of the vintage and is a brilliant wine readers will love to have in the cellar.
Graphite, plum and blackberry. Beautifully silky, has a good sense of fluidity but also remarkable intensity and concentration. Energy and drive, with deep fruit and sweet tannins. Has a mineral straightness that helps to temper the ripe fruit and ripe tannin. The alcohol is quite raised but not unbalanced. A cut above most Crozes-Hermitages, more serious in style and texture.
Drinking Window 2023 - 2035
The 2020 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers is young and unevolved, yet I still love it. Full-bodied aromas and flavors of blueberries, raspberries, violets, and some rocky mineral notes define this structured yet incredibly pure Crozes Hermitage. As with the 2019, it has more than a passing resemblance to a top Hermitage.
