Probably the most famous Crozes Hermitage producer! Good efforts made in the hot 2020 vintage - only 13% abv. We drank it over 3 days. Got better and better!
100% Syrah from Chassis, a very stony site (this means it is not fertile soil which is good for vines!) to the south of the hill of Hermitage. Full bodied but fresh and lifted, it's a wine that offers both immediate pleasure and also plenty of unfolding complexity as the wine evolves in the cellar or opens up in the decanter.
Alain Graillot founded his domaine in Crozes-Hermitage in 1985, and rapidly became one of the most in-demand producers in the Northern Rhone for his exuberant, robust, and complete Syrah-based wines. Alain owns 50 acres of 30-year-old Crozes-Hermitage vines on the flat alluvial plain between the Rhône and Isère rivers, in well-draining soils of sand, gravel, and stones.
Alain harvests by hand and works organically, employing whole-cluster fermentation and aging the wines primarily in 1-to-3 year old barrels purchased from some of the top estates in Burgundy. Graillot’s wines are structured, but still very appealing and approachable in their youth, and their longevity is truly remarkable… These are must-haves for any serious Northern Rhone fan.