Type: Red
Country: France
Region: Northern Rhone
Grape Variety: 100% Syrah
Alcohol Percentage: 14%
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Rating: 94 Robert Parker Points
Climate: Temperate climate with more sunshine than the most other parts of Rhone
Terroir: A big misnomer in the wine geekdom about Hermitage is that it is a large granite hill, which is only half true, literally. The other half is something almost completely different. This “other” soil on the eastern flank of Hermitage is where Colombier takes his grapes. The eastern side is mostly glacier and river deposits with a deep substrata of limestone. The furthest west parcel of his, called “les Beaumes,” is on soils of clay-sandstone and alluvium. Péléat, which is lower on the hill is lighter soil with clay, silex and rounded pebbles which helps to produce more elegance in the wine. Lastly, “La Grande Diognière” is mostly sand, clay and chalk
Ageing: Fermented in cement tanks and aged 18 months in demi-muids (600L) barrels
Color: Intense dark red
Nose: Profound nose of blackberries and dark fruits
Palate: A straight-forward and powerful syrah. The wine has the volume turned up on flavor, fruit, tannin and power but still remains approachable at a very young age
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.