Les Alexandrins Domaine Crozes-Hermitage 2018
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
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Parker
Robert
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Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage from barrel last year and it showed beautifully from bottle. Its dense purple color is followed by rocking notes of black raspberry fruits, tapenade, ground pepper, and smoked earth. This rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated Crozes-Hermitage has a wonderful texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Well worth seeking out, this terrific 2018 will evolve for 10-15 years.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and fresh, with a forward and succulent core of plum, raspberry and black cherry compote notes that bounce through, carried by savory, tobacco and bay leaf notes through the racy, mineral-edged finish. Drink now through 2027.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Normally a good-sized step up from the négociant bottling, the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine les Alexandrins is a full-bodied, concentrated effort loaded with black olives and dark, plummy fruit. The tannins are supple, making it immediately approachable, with a rich texture and velvety finish. I'm not sure about its long-term prospects, but it should drink well for at least 6-7 years.
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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.