Yann Chave Crozes Hermitage Le Rouvre 2019

Crozes-Hermitage is an appellation in France's northern Rhone Valley where Syrah rules the roost. In fact, Syrah is the only red grape allowed to grow here and in the entire northern Rhone, for that matter. Whites are rare and they're another story.

This big, dark, full bodied red has all the bells and whistles you want to find in high quality French Syrah, namely, ripe dark fruit flavours with aromas of white pepper and savoury spice. It's three years old and still youthful, but drinks well now, decanted. It will continue to age for up to a decade in a good cellar.

Vinification
For vinification, grapes are 100% destemmed, no yeasting. The maceration phase lasts 4 weeks. Pumping over is preferred to cap punching, as it is a gentler extraction method. Vinification temperature never goes above 28°C.

After devatting, the wine is barrelled immediately in demi-muids, where malolactic fermentation takes place. The barrels are mainly one or two wines old. The wine is racked after 12 months, before spending 3 months in a vat prior to bottling.