Maison Les Alexandrins, a signature modern in approach and contemporary in style. This wine owes its remarkable complexity and strength to Syrah, very much the king of grapes in the Côte-Rôtie appellation. An elegant, perfectly balanced wine with velvety tannins; smoky and black fruit flavours highlight its fine structure.
Presentation
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. Most of our vines grow in the south of the appellation, in the Côte Blonde and Coteau de Tupin sectors.
Terroir
The granite parent rock is covered in places by schist but also by sand and chalky soil.
The vintage
After 2023 which was full of contrasts, 2024 was once again a year marked by considerable challenges, requiring great composure and the benefit of experience to face the temperamental climate. After a mild winter, April was marked by frost, followed by intense rain throughout the spring and early summer until mid-July, followed by drought in August. These conditions were particularly testing for us: the fight against mildew, especially with its impact on the inflorescences, required constant attention. The harvest thus began around September 10th, requiring daily adjustments to the heterogeneity of the grape maturity. We had to taste and analyse the berries every day and the weather determined strategic choices and we had to constantly change the harvest schedule to harvest each plot at its optimal maturity. A painstaking work that was worth it, with a decisive impact on the quality and style of the vintage. Despite all these difficulties, the final quality of the grapes offers some great surprises. The first tastings are very promising with crisp and delicious reds and beautiful whites with melted acidity and a beautiful structure on the palate. The devatting has started and the ageing period that follows will allow our wines to improve and gain complexity.
Location
Côte-Rôtie has been an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône Valle since 1940. Starting life on the right bank of the Rhône, Côte-Rôtie wines forge their character from the appellation's extremely steep slopes, which in places reach gradients of over 60°. The very narrow vineyard is planted in terraces just a few dozen vines wide. Only a few kilometres from Lyon, this is the northernmost appellation of the Rhône Valley.
Process
Our aim here is to produce consistently refined wines offering elegance and finesse.
- Maceration and fermentation for about 20 days with pumping over for the first few days and then punching down towards the end.
- Ageing for 15 months in one year-old barrels and in demi-muids (60-litre capacity barrels).
- Maceration and fermentation for about 20 days with pumping over for the first few days and then punching down towards the end.
- Ageing for 15 months in one year-old barrels and in demi-muids (60-litre capacity barrels).
Varietals
Syrah
Viognier
Viognier
Advice
Tasting
Seductive deep-red dress with beautiful undertones. Complex, the nose offers a superb aromatic bouquet, harmoniously blending smoky notes reminiscent of ash with aromas of cherries, mocha, and delicate hints of minerality and graphite. The palate continues with elegance, featuring a beautiful balance, a dense and smooth texture with perfectly integrated silky tannins, and a long aromatic finish with notes of violet and licorice. A particularly refined wine that already provides great pleasure despite its youth.
Food pairings
This wine will go perfectly with a tender lamb packed with flavour.
Serving
This wine should be decanted at least an hour before serving to reveal its fullest expression. Serve at 17°C. Drink young.
