Maison Les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage Blanc - 2022
Description
A partnership between two winegrowers from the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet and Alexandre Caso – Maison les Alexandrins produces northern wines in a style at once contemporary and timeless, always from exceptional vineyards unearthed by Alexandre Caso, a specialist in the terroirs of the northern Rhône Valley. Classics with a twist, these wines and how they are aged and blended are guided by the quest for perfect harmony from a very young age. Our blend is composed of two terroirs: on the one hand, vines growing on the granite slopes of Les Pends and, on the other hand, the stony plains in the village of Chanos Curson.
Terroir
Our wine is made from Marsanne and Roussanne vines with an average age of 20 years.
The vintage
After a particularly hot and dry summer, the harvest began on August 17th with a perfectly ripe crop of white grapes, early enough to preserve all their freshness and natural balance. The reds followed, benefiting from a few saving rains that gave them more refinement. We favored infusion over extraction on our Crozes-Hermitage and our Brézème, preserving the crunchiness of the Syrah and the very delicate fruit of the vintage. In the cellar, the punching down and pumping for the 3 weeks of maceration released power and character for our Cornas, Saint Joseph and Hermitage. After devatting, a long aging will allow the wines to develop their aromatics, refine their tannins and gain in amplitude. The balance is already beautiful with controlled degrees and a lot of depth.
Location
An Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône Valley since 1937, the Crozes-Hermitage vineyard lies on the left bank of the Rhône, between the Hermitage and Saint-Joseph appellations. The earliest vines in this terroir were first grown in Roman times. Its name comes from two place names: “Crozes”, from the Latin crucem, which means “cross” or “crossroads”, and “Hermitage”, from the Latin heremitagium, meaning “hermitage” in English. It refers to the hill rising above the Rhône, on the summit of which the knight Henri Gaspard de Stérimberg settled to live as a hermit on his return from the Albigensian Crusade.
Process
- Vinified in demi-muids (60-litre capacity barrels).
- 50% aged in demi-muids and 50% in concrete egg vats for 6 months.
Varietals
Marsanne : 60%
Roussanne : 40%
Tasting
Pretty limpid colour with shiny reflections. Each grape variety is vinified separately in demi-muids barrels and concrete vats allowing this wine to reveal a superb balance between the fatness of Marsanne and the tension of Roussanne. All in finesse, the delicate nose reveals toasted aromas from the vinification in barrels, subtly mixed with aromas of white-flesh fruit and white flowers typical of these northern grape varieties. Particularly silky, the palate is round, perfectly balanced by a hint of acidity and finishes with a nice length.
Food pairings
This wine is perfect as an aperitif served with a prawn platter. It also pairs well with grilled fish (sole and sea bream) and works a charm with white meat, especially poultry.
Serving
Serve at 12°C. Ideally drink within the next 3 to 5 years.