Maison les Alexandrins
Crozes-Hermitage
Red 2022
An exceedingly elegant red Crozes-Hermitage that strikes the perfect balance between generosity from the red fruit and strength from the round and velvety tannins.
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.
The terroir comprises granite slopes to the north, similar to those in Hermitage, while the soil to the south is mainly alluvial with some terraces containing stones washed up by the Rhône. The vines are planted on slopes facing due south benefiting from the Mistral breeze. There is a great difference between the wines produced in the north or in the south of the appellation. Maison les Alexandrins’ Crozes-Hermitages mainly come from vines planted in the alluvial plain.
- Pre-fermentation cold maceration to develop the fruit.
- Maceration and fermentation for about 20 days with pumping over for the first few days and then punching down towards the end.
- Ageing in conical vats and demi-muids (60-litre capacity barrels) for 10 months.
Beautiful deep-purple colour with shiny reflections. In this sunny vintage, the nose is particularly seductive with delicate floral notes subtly mixed with aromas of small red fruit. A remarkable balance on the palate, thanks to the infusion which was preferred to the extraction during the vinification. It offers a beautiful crispness of fresh and light red fruit supported by very fine tannins which reveal a very elegant wine.