E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage – A Northern Rhone River Valley Value

BULK BUY!

100% Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone, France.

SRP of $35 and available for as low as $18, but more typically in the low $20s. Costco occasionally has this wine for $19.99. Imported by Vintus.

From the winery:

“Eye: Dark and deep colour.

Nose: Red fruits, cherry and strawberry with delicate oak aromas.

Palate: A structured tannic wine. Aromas of blackcurrant buds and vanilla.

Overall: Remarkable freshness with notable and refined tannins due to long oak ageing.

The vines are mainly on steep slopes from the villages of Gervans, Mercurol, Larnage et Crozes-Hermitage.

13% Alcohol”

As promised in yesterday’s feature (Rhone Valley Adventures – Northern Rhone), today we have a widely available example of fantastic Northern Rhone wine that can be found for under $20. This one comes from the Crozes-Hermitage, which surrounds the more prestigious Hermitage appellation. 90% of the wine made here is red, almost all of it from my favorite variety, Syrah. (To say that I was in heaven here would be an understatement.)

The 2009 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage begins with super savory aromas of smoked meat, black olives, anise, licorice, dark fruit and some floral notes — and that’s just on the first couple sniffs! This is definitely one of those “the more you smell the more you find” kind of wines. The wine tastes big, meaty and savory. The average of the vines is 35 years and the wine spent 18 months in oak barrels. It’s full-bodied with plum, licorice, black cherry and savory herbal notes. As the wine breathes it becomes even more complex, yet it never gets out of balance. This smooth and delicious wine ends with lovely spice, mineral notes, more dark fruit and lingering black olives. A perfect 10 as far as we’re concerned!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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