Maison Les Alexandrins Vin de France Rouge Syrah - 2022

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. This blend mainly comprises Vin de Pays from around the northern slopes of the Rhône, the Ardèche and Drôme.

The vineyard has young vines planted about 15 years ago on average, on terraces or on the plains.

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.

Syrah expresses itself most fully in its French birthplace, between the towns of Vienne and Valence. There are some who believe that it originally came from the city of Shiraz in Iran and was brought over during the Crusades. Others claim it first emerged in the 3rd century AD during the Roman Empire by dint of Emperor Probus. As for Viognier, the latest scientific research shows it originates from the northern Rhône Valley.

- Pre-fermentation cold maceration to develop the fruit.
- Maceration and fermentation for about a fortnight with pumping over and then punching down towards the end.
- A portion of the wine is aged for five to six months in stainless steel vats. Designed to preserve the wine's fresh and fruity expression. The other portion is aged in conical wooden vats for the same length of time to promote tannin extraction.