Les Varonniers Crozes-Hermitage 2020 6x75cl

Nose: very ripe red fruits, blackcurrant and raspberry, then liquorice. Palate: ample and solid, vanilla and jam finish.

Vineyards

The granitic slopes are oriented South-West at the end of the Hermitage hill and on fluvial terraces on the “Chassis” plot.

Vintage

2020 will undoubtedly stand out as an atypical year. The winter was mild marked, by a water shortage over the period, although reserves from 2019 helped to alleviate this. Budbreak was 10 days earlier than in previous vintages. Although snow fell after budbreak and frost was a real risk, it only affected a few vines in Beaumont Moneux. June brought plentiful heat and sunshine in the Northern Rhône and some welcome rain in the Southern Rhône. Grenache in the Southern Rhône looked beautiful and Syrah in the north perfectly balanced. Harvest was earlier than usual starting in early September and proceeded calmly and without any weather pressures. Marked by exceptional earliness and scorching mid-summer heat, the 2020 vintage offers us wines full of elegance and pedigree. They have all the markers of great ageing potential thanks to preserved acidity and remarkable phenolic maturity. The elegance of the red wines and the expression of minerality supported by a beautiful acidity on the whites are the hallmarks of this particular vintage that is full of surprises.

Winemaking

Vinification is made in small concrete tank. Fermenting is long and lasts around one month to polymerize tannins. Only free-run juice is used. This wine is entirely matured in oak casks (with a percentage of new ones) from 14 to 18 months.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Pizza/Pasta
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses

Great with duck