Alain Graillot came home to Crozes-Hermitage in 1985 after time with Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac, and the domaine has been the benchmark ever since. This 2021 is 100% Syrah off 45-plus-year-old vines in Tournon and St Désirat. Whole-cluster, ambient yeast, fermented in cement and raised in older barrels, unfined and unfiltered: peppery, savory, taut through the mid-palate with fine tannin and real northern Rhône minerality. Syrah in its truest form, with nobody sanding the edges off.
Winemaker Notes
Practicing organic 100% Syrah From two parcels, one in the village of Tournon, one in the village of St Désirat 45+ year old vines 100% Whole Cluster Ambient yeast Fermented in cement Aged in 1-3 year old barrels Unfined and unfiltered
Professional Ratings
94
James SucklingLively, mineral and driven, offering aromas of forest berries, stones, violets and mild spices. It's medium-bodied with fine tannins. Terroir-driven, crunchy and vivid. Precise, with a transparent, floral, succulent and energetic finish. Drink or hold.
92
VinousGraphite, black cherry, cedar and fleshy accents introduce the 2023 Saint-Joseph that™s currently maturing in a 30-hectoliter foudre. Gently framed by ripe tannins, the 2023 is shaping up to be a solid rendition of this wine, winding down with freshness and precision on the spicy finish.
91
Wine SpectatorRestrained and racy, with black plum and fig laced up with grippy, iron-edged tannins. Briny, woodsy tapenade undertones cruise alongside, all powered by tangy acidity on the firm, tightly wound finish. 600 cases made, 150 cases imported. - KB
About the Producer
In France’s Northern Rhone Valley, there are few names as revered as Graillot. It was in 1985 that the late, legendary Alain Graillot, who after working with the venerable Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac, came back to his home in Crozes-Hermitage to start his own domaine. With each passing year his devotion to the art of making hauntingly delicious Syrah from his organically farmed, stone-laden vineyards, was rewarded with an ever growing and highly dedicated following around the world.
