Maison Les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage Blanc - 2021

Maison Les Alexandrins Crozes-Hermitage Blanc - 2021

Maison Les Alexandrins, a signature modern in approach and contemporary in style. A powerful white Crozes-Hermitage with complex notes, characterised by freshness and remarkable aromatic intensity. A truly elegant wine, especially seductive thanks to its floral aromas.
Description

A partnership between three winegrowers from the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel 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

2021 was a winemaker vintage and required great responsiveness to very variable weather, comforting us in the pursuit of our good work in the vineyard. Winter was mild, followed by spring frosts before a dry mid-spring and then a cool summer with record rainfall. By stripping the leaves at the beginning of July, our grapes remained healthy. The harvest started in good conditions with the whites on September 13th in Brézème (-80% harvest due to frost), followed by Crozes-Hermitage and Condrieu. The summer conditions preserved a rare balance in our region. The Marsanne and Roussanne reveal freshness, minerality and precision, the Viogniers aromas of fresh fruit and a mouth full of finesse. For the reds, the lowland vineyards are full of indulgence with floral aromas and soft tannins. Finally, the granite terroirs reveal notes of pepper and spices and a rich palate.

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.

Tasting

Pretty colour with shiny reflections. Each grape variety is vinified separately in demi-muids and concrete vats allowing this wine to reveal a superb balance between the structure of Marsanne and the tension of Roussanne. On the nose, it offers a magnificent aromatic bouquet of smoky notes and toasted bread subtly mixed with aromas of white-flesh fruit and white flowers typical of these northern grape varieties. The mouth is silky, round with a perfectly balanced bitterness, a touch of acidity and minerality.

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.

Grapes

Marsanne : 60 %
Roussanne : 40 %