- Red Crozes-Hermitage Vineyards :
- Crozes Hermitage is the largest of the Northern Rhône appellations. It covers the territory of 11 communes in the Drôme "département", on the left bank of the Rhône river. Soils :
- in the Northern part, the soils are formed by the granitic slopes that run on from those of Hermitage. To the South, soils are alluvial, stemming from glacier and river beds, with benches made up of rolled stones and silt from the Rhône river. Climate :
- the hills are south facing. Prevailing wind :
- the Mistral. Surface area under production :
- Appellation vineyard area: 1,683 hectares (almost 3,500 acres) in production. Annual production : 60,000 hl. (666,666 cases) of red and 4,000 hl. (44,444 cases) of white. Maximum authorised yield : 45 hl./ha (2,6 Us tons/acre). Grape varieties :
- Syrah (with a tolerance of up to 15% of white Marsanne or Roussanne grapes).
Appellation
Characteristics
The wine is made from a blend of grapes that come exclusively from the Domaine des Grands Chemins, owned by Delas Frères. All the vineyard plots lie on benches known as the "Chassis", formed at the junction between the rivers Isère and Rhône.
Production: initial production was 38,000 bottles in 2006 and 32,000 bottles in 2007. A greater understanding of this site should enable Delas to increase production to 48,000 bottles.
Grape Variety : 100% Syrah
Wine Making
Grapes are hand-picked, plot by plot, at maximum levels of ripeness. Wine making is quite traditional, with fermentation in open concrete tanks, following a cold-soaking. Daily cappunching and pumping over provides extraction. The maceration phase lasts for between 10 and 12 days.
Maturing
Maturing is conducted over a 14 month period, partly in tanks and partly in small burgundian barrels that have already held one or two wines. Regular rackings introduce the necessary quantity of oxygen to round out the tannins.
Tasting notes
The colour is deep, with a garnet hue deepened by purple tinges. To the nose this Crozes-Hermitage "Domaine des Grands Chemins" shows seductive whiffs of crushed black fruit (dark cherries, blackberries and blackcurrants) which evolve in the glass to reveal slightly smoky and liquorice notes, all these being quite typical from the "Chassis" area.
In retro-olfaction, and on a mineral black-ground, menthol and eucalyptus express their hints.
In the mouth, the seriousness of the wine combines with its delicacy: the first impact is fresh and lively. The texture is tannic but intense, pulpy, almost silky. This truly balanced wine expresses a nice complexity generous and true to the genuine "terroir" of the "Domaine des Grands Chemines".
This wine's structure, along with its aromatic persistence, gives it a great potential for laying down.
Food and wine pairing
Red meat, feathered game, lamb in pastry.
