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A Rhône Master’s Take on Crozes-Hermitage
A Rhône Master’s Take on Crozes-Hermitage
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2023 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
2023 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
Louis Barruol
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône | Crozes Hermitage
In his remarkably elegant Crozes-Hermitage, made of 100% Syrah, Louis Barruol embodies the truism that sometimes those who are most passionate about a place and its traditions are its outsiders. Louis is a native of the southern Rhône Valley, but tasting his exquisite Crozes, you might reasonably wonder if the northern part of the valley, where Syrah is king, is his spiritual homeland.
Sure, he blends a little Syrah into his famous Gigondas down south, but vinifying the grape on its own—as is the norm in appellations like Crozes-Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas—requires an entirely different skill set and taste than blending it with other grapes like Grenache and Cinsault. Louis embraces the highly unusual challenge of reaching outside his home region to make a handful of northern Rhône cuvées quite simply because he adores the north’s most classic examples he grew up drinking, and he pays his respect to them through his collaborations with Kermit via the Barruol/Lynch label.
In this cuvée, Louis blends Syrah from half a dozen of Crozes-Hermitage’s crème de la crème lieux-dits. All it takes is one sip to realize he has produced a masterful and lithe red wine that swims gracefully across your palate with notes of dark fruit, herbs, and a touch of brine. If you love northern Rhône Syrah, don’t miss this one.
Louis Barruol
| Wine Type: | red |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | Syrah |
| Appellation: | Crozes Hermitage |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Northern Rhône |
| Producer: | Barruol / Lynch |
| Winemaker: | Louis Barruol |
| Vineyard: | 30-50 years |
| Soil: | Granite |
| Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
| Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Barruol / Lynch
Louis Barruol is an indefatigable force in the Rhône, the 14th generation in his family to be making wine in Gigondas. On what was once the site of a Roman villa, Louis’ cellars show spectacular remains of Roman vinification vats carved into the limestone. Here, Louis works with different grape varietals from the Rhône, vinifying each parcel separately. He’s taken to acting as a micro-négociant, working with top growers in the region who still work with Sérine. Producing only a few precious barrels of each cuvée, Louis is helping to save the authenticity and identity of old Côte Rôtie parcels. Together, he and Kermit blend our Northern Rhône wines and a Southern Côtes du Rhône Blanc and Rouge from a selection of Louis’ purchases.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174