2015 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage

Aged in 18 months in oak barrels. Magnum. Black fruit, quite suppressed and bitter on the palate. Black-olive character to finish. Sour elements. Having a bad day? (RH)

Moving to the Crozes Hermitage releases, the 2015 Crozes Hermitage is more fresh and elegant than most, with a certain compactness as well as perfumed notes of black raspberries, pepper, violets, and earth. Give bottles a year or so and it should drink nicely for 8-10 years. I’d have liked to see a touch more volume and sexiness from this wine given the vintage. The big news at the Guigal estate is the purchase of Domaine de Nalys in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The family has always wanted an estate in the South, and Nalys is an unrealized treasure trove of awesome terroir and old vines, both of which I’ve no doubt will be maximized by this talented family. In addition, the former winemaker at Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Jacques Desvernois, has joined the team, and while it’s not clear exactly what his role will be, I suspect he will largely lead the charge at Domaine de Nalys. Either way, Desvernois is an incredible talent and can only add to what is already a well-oiled machine. As to the wines reviewed in this report, I was able to taste multiple vintages of each of the cuvées and have listed the wines by cuvée as opposed to by vintage, which is how we tasted through the wines.

Slight reduction on the nose, but there's attractive peppery spice that soon overcomes that on the palate. Attractive, pure black fruit. Very convincing, classic example of the style. (RH)