Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, Domaine de Roure, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2021
James Suckling 94
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Why this wine
A single 1.4-hectare parcel at Gervans, some of it planted in 1945, farmed organically and kept as a biodiversity refuge. Pure Marsanne, fermented in concrete eggs and demi-muids and aged on its fine lees, which is what gives it the flesh. White Crozes-Hermitage is scarce, and this is the serious end of it.
At a glance
- Grape
- Marsanne
- Region
- Rhône Valley, France
- Alcohol
- 14.00%
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Medium
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Medium (5-10 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Poultry & Pork, Rich & Creamy Dishes, Cheese
How it tastes
Delicate aromas of honeysuckle and apricot, with a charming smoky note behind them. The palate is concentrated and fleshy, full in weight and well structured, lifted by bright minerality and closing on a hint of almond. Marsanne 100%.
The producer
Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in 1834 and farms across seven northern Rhône appellations. The Frey family bought the house in 2006 and Caroline Frey now makes the wines, alongside a nine-hectare wildlife reserve and a wider programme of ecosystem work; the vineyards have been certified AB organic since 2016 and cultivated biodynamically, with a regenerative approach, since 2021. Domaine de Roure sits in the commune of Gervans, north of Tain l'Hermitage, 1.4 hectares in a valley that the estate has turned into a biodiversity refuge. The vines were planted between 1945 and 2000 on slopes of 10–25% gradient at 220 metres, yield 30–40 hl/ha, and are mostly trained by Cordon de Royat with some staked gobelet; the fruit is picked by hand, sorted by plot and carried to the winery in 12kg crates. It was whole-bunch pressed and, after settling, fermented in a combination of concrete eggs and demi-muids, then aged on its fine lees in the same vessels. 2021 was a challenging year: an early spring was checked by black frost from 7th to 9th April, with temperatures down to −6°C, and a wet, cool summer delayed ripening, but careful vineyard work produced aromatic, well-balanced wines.
Food and drinking
Serve at 11–13°C. Good with roast guinea fowl, veal in cream, grilled turbot or a well-aged Comté. Drink now and over the next five to ten years; half an hour in a decanter will open it out. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.