Les Alexandrins Maison Crozes-Hermitage 2016
-
Wine &
Spirits -
James
Suckling - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
Guil- laume Sorrel of Domaine Sorrel in Her- mitage and viticulturalist Alexandre Caso founded this winery in 2009, joined by Nicolas Jaboulet of Maison Nicolas Perrin in 2015. This 2016 is silky and firm, with dark- red fruit under scents of rose, rooibos tea and lots of black-pepper spice. The firmness of the acidity and the salty finish make it espe- cially appealing to drink now with roast duck or goose. Best Buy
-
James Suckling
Quite savory. Plenty of smoked meat, pepper and spices on offer with red plums and mulberries. The palate is nicely carved with smooth, firm tannins that deliver a reliably balanced, long finish. Drink or hold
-
Decanter
Pure juniper and violets on the nose. The palate has inky concentration, but remains fresh. Good tannic grain and bright acidity bring a lovely sense of liveliness and purity, with a long finish. The best Crozes I've tasted from Alexandrins to date.
Other Vintages
2020-
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling - Decanter
Maison & Domaine Les Alexandrins is the story of three friends combining the savoir-faire they learn from their parents and grandparents and the fruits from beautiful and historic terroirs. Nicolas Jaboulet, the 6th generation of a wine growing family in Tain l’Hermitage, Guillaume Sorrel, son of Marc Sorrel of Domaine Sorrel in Hermitage, and Alexandre Caso, a specialist in the terroirs of the Northern Rhône, joined forces in 2012. They began working parcel by parcel in Crozes-Hermitage for the wines of Maison Nicolas Perrin. In 2015, the name was changed to Domaine et Maison Les Alexandrins. Today, Maison and Domaine Les Alexandrins produces Northern Rhône wines that are true and classic expressions of the Northern Rhône.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Crozes-Hermitage is Northern Rhone’s largest appellation, surrounding the steep granite faces of Hermitage to its north and south. Here the rolling vineyards are less extreme and its soils, rich in clay-limestone and alluvial matter, produce Syrahs that range from fruity and charming to lush and seductive. The Syrahs of Crozes-Hermitage have more mass than those from St. Joseph but are less intense than those from Hermitage. While many are intended for early consumption, some of the best Syrahs from Crozes-Hermitage will age beautifully for 5-10 years.
Up to 15% of white grapes may theoretically be added to red Crozes at the time of fermentation but whether this is done or not depends on the decision of the winemaker. The best Crozes-Hermitage Syrahs will be fleshy with black fruit (currant, blackberry and black cherry) and bay leaf qualities, notes of tar and stone, and a well-concentrated finish of smooth tannins.
About a tenth of the wine produced in Crozes-Hermitage is white, primarily composed of Marsanne supplemented by smaller amounts of Roussanne.