Type: Red
Country: France
Region: Northern Rhone
Grape Variety: 100% Syrah
Alcohol Percentage: 13%
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Rating: 90 Robert Parker Points
Climate: Temperate climate with more sunshine than the most other parts of Rhone
Terroir: Like the basic Crozes-Hermitage rouge, this wine is grown on alluvial soils with very little granite or limestones. Sure, you can find rocks scattered in vineyards but they are less important than that white complexion of the soil due to the sand and moderately limestone-rich clays. There is an immeasurable amount of other round stones that clue you into the geological history of both glaciers and flooding rivers that have made deposits here over thousands of years.
Ageing: Fermentation in cement tanks and aged 12 months in large oak barrels
Color: Intense dark red
Nose: Expressive nose of plush dark and red fruits, sweet purple and red flowers, pepper for days with beautiful dark earth and wet forest notes
Palate: Texturally, the wine has refined, chalky tannins and refreshing acidity that make it very inviting for the entire bottle. As often found in Syrah from this area, a graphite-like finish smooths this wine out in the palate
About the Winery:
Domaine du Colombier was started 80 years ago by the Viale family, and is now in the hands a Florent Viale, a friendly, joyful and generous giant winemaker. And his wines reflect him. ‘…one of the best in the northern Rhône, but for some reason, this estate remains under most consumers’ radar” Robert Parker’s compliment further enhances the status of this best-but-unsung domaine in northern rhone. Most of the vineyard is old vines planted on stony hillside sites and trained on stakes in the local tradition. This means that most of the work, including harvest, has to be done by hand.
