2020 Press Kit Sharing Elegance
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2020 PRESS KIT 1 SHARING ELEGANCE LYON N7 LYON A7 SERVES SUR-RHÔNE ÉROME GERVANS LARNAGE CROZES- HERMITAGE TAIN MERCUROL L’HERMITAGE CHANOS CURSON CROZES-HERMITAGE ROMANS D532 HERMITAGE Rhône Isère BEAUMONT MONTEUX PONT LA ROCHE DE L’ISÈRE DE GLUN VALENCE N7 & A7 CONTENTS THE VINES 03 THE WINES 07 Elegant wines from the heart of the Rhône Valley 03 Honest, voluptuous reds 07 Unique terroirs 04 Whites with character 08 Map of soil types 05 PRACTICAL INFO 09 Three grape varieties for naturally elegant wines 06 AOC Crozes-Hermitage: key figures 09 ADDRESS BOOK 10 the vines © C. Grilhé ELEGANT WINES FROM THE HEART OF THE RHÔNE VALLEY 3 The appeal of Crozes-Hermitage, one of the most prestigious appellations in the northern Rhone Valley, lies in its gourmet, informal character. Known first and foremost for its reds, in which the Syrah is exuberantly expressed, the appellation also includes some whites. All elegant wines, that goes without saying, but very quaffable too. Straddling the 45th parallel on the left bank of the Rhone, the Crozes-Hermitage appellation takes in 11 villages in the Drôme des Collines tourist area and covers nearly 1,683 hectares. It is the most extensive appellation in the northern Côtes du Rhône winegrowing region. On the left bank of the Rhône, “terroir” tells. To the north, the vines grow on granite slopes, like those of the highly reputed “Hermitage Hill”. To the south, the history of the river can be read in the soils, with their river and glacier-borne alluvial deposits or pebbles rolled along by the Rhône. An AOC since 1937 centred on the village of Crozes-Hermitage, its initial “décrêt”, or specification, was extended in 1952 to include the neighbouring villages of Érôme, Serves-sur-Rhône, Gervans, Larnage, Tain-l’Hermitage, Mercurol, Chanos-Curson, Beaumont-Monteux, La Roche-de-Glun and Pont-de-l’Isère, bringing the number of villages in the appellation to 11. the vines © C. Grilhé UNIQUE TERROIRS 4 Soils Climate The largest area of the AOC, situated to the south The zone to the north of Tain-l’Hermitage (Érôme, and east of Tain-l’Hermitage, displays thick layers of Serves-sur-Rhône, Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage and river pebbles dating from different glacial eras mixed Larnage) is somewhat cooler and more humid. This with red clay and forming relatively flat elevations, is due partly to the elevation and the situation of the called plateaux or terraces. Further north-west the slopes, and partly to the nature of the granite soils, topography has fairly steep slopes. Towards Larnage which are cooler and retain the humidity better. and Crozes-Hermitage, the terroir is one of pebbly To the south, the villages of Mercurol, Chanos- terraces covered in lœss or kaolinic white sand. The Curson, Beaumont- Monteux, Pont-de-l’Isère and La villages in the north (Serves-sur-Rhône, Érôme and Roche-de-Glun are often drier, as the soils are more Gervans) lie on granite soils, also covered with lœss. permeable and the Mistral wind blows stronger. There, the topography is rather flat. A MULTI-FACETED APPELLATION Crozes-Hermitage offers a very great variety of terroirs, harmonised by the precious work done by the winegrowers. The soils and the climate vary according to the geographical situation, alternating between fresher or hotter environments and providing a wonderful variety of wines. THE MAP OF GROUNDS 5 the vines © C. Grilhé © C. Grilhé © C. Grilhé THREE GRAPE VARIETIES FOR NATURALLY ELEGANT WINES 6 The icon of a rich and diverse appellation, Syrah is the sole variety used in Crozes-Hermitage reds. In the white wines, Marsanne and Roussanne complement one another. What wine-lovers appreciate about them is their freshness and exquisite floral aromas. Unique Syrah Marsanne & Roussanne, Here, Syrah is queen. The red wines may only be made two beautiful characters from this noble, native grape variety. Known and grown Generous, vigorous and powerful, Marsanne has since Roman times, it expresses itself marvellously well an assertive character and grows best in warm, stony in the mild, only slightly varying climatic conditions of and rather barren soils. Its nutty aromas and richness the Crozes-Hermitage terroir. endow it with good ageing capacity and make it the Characteristic of the variety is a fine aromatic array of star variety for the growers of this region. Roussanne red berries and violets, combined with fine intensity and is a more delicate variety. Its finesse, remarkable assertive tannin. We might also mention its resistance complexity and elegant, floral notes make it the ideal to oxidation – the wines retain their attractive purple ally for Marsanne. These two different temperaments tints for many years. make a perfect duo, creating airy-light, balanced The appellation’s specification allows the addition of wines, the production of which represents just 8% of up to 15% of white varieties. the appellation. CROZES-HERMITAGE, THE MAGAZINE One town and the wines of Crozes-Hermitage for sharing. Interviews with top chefs and personalities, insider tips on where to taste great wines and, of course, a focus on the appellation. the wines © P. Barde © P. © S. Burel © S. Barde © P. HONEST, VOLUPTUOUS REDS 7 Syrah is truly at home here. It reigns supreme and In the wine cellar expresses itself with exuberance. On all the wines They have average ageing capacity and in their early it confers the same family traits of easy quaffability years are enjoyably fresh. After three to five years, this robustness and captivating charm, sublimated by profile gives way to a more animal-like one, and some of the grower and the terroir. Balanced in character, the more especially robust and well-crafted wines will go Crozes-Hermitage reds have the seductively crunchy on proudly ageing for years to come. mouthfeel typical of Syrah. The elegant tannins, red berry fruit and brilliant, sustained colour pledge Food/wine pairings enjoyment. While young, they make a perfect match for rabbit or a delicious fowl. They are a good accompaniment at the In the glass end of a meal for a Saint-Marcellin, the king of local Compared with certain neighbouring appellations, the cheeses, while the older wines will be perfect companions wines of Crozes-Hermitage are softer, with pleasingly for duck and game. floral aromas. Some growers play the “robust charm” card. These balanced wines are a fine compromise between fruit and tannin. CROZES LOVERS – A WHOLE NEW COMMUNITY Since a wine also lives through those who love it, Crozes-Hermitage is calling up the clan. Becoming a “CrozesLovers” means living and passing on the Crozes- Hermitage experience through VIP meetings, personalised tastings, and more... the wines © Y. Ourabah © Y. Ourabah © Y. WHITES WITH CHARACTER 8 Crozes-Hermitage white wines deserve our special In the wine cellar attention. Rarer than the reds, they account for just 8% During the first two years, they are to be enjoyed above of total output. But the variety and unusual richness all for the fruit. It is worth waiting a few more years to of the soils allows the growers to concoct vintages with savour the surprisingly nutty notes that emerge. character. There is one to suit every taste. Food/wine pairings In the glass Drunk as an aperitif, Crozes-Hermitage will delight the Crozes-Hermitage white wine is sought after first taste buds with its delicate flavour. As a dry white wine, and foremost for its freshness and floral scents. The it makes a good accompaniment for grilled fish – sautéed appellation’s whites are bottled at an early stage to help trout fillet, for example. Or, quite simply – try this in a conserve these qualities. Crozes-Hermitage whites are brasserie – with a herring and potato salad with an oil dry wines, often displaying pleasing volume on the palate. dressing. WINE & TRANSAT : A NEW CULTURAL AND GOURMET FESTIVAL IN LYON In 2019, Wine & Transat shifted from a weekly-evening event to a true festival. This concept change resulted in a full three days program mixing wine, food, cinema and electronic music. This new event now takes place in L’Embarcadère, a vast area settled in the old docks of the newly emerging district of Confluence. A brand new concept that strengthen the AOC position and renown in Lyon. practical info AOC CROZES-HERMITAGE: KEY FIGURES grape surface area in hectares hl/ha varieties average syrah 43 annual 3marsanne 1, yield roussanne 768 colors 90% 78,918 red 68,157 9 total production volumes in hectolitres sold in hectolitres in 2018 10% in 2018 white principal markets in france export principal export markets 37% catering sector (cafés, hotels, restaurants) uk supermarkets/hyper- 26% 16% markets united-states 14% specialist 20% 11% wine dealers sweden 11% direct sales 7% THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO MAKE CROZES-HERMITAGE 68 independent growers 2 cooperatives 73 wine merchants adress book Domaine Aléofane Domaine Chaboud Domaine Emmanuel Darnaud +33 (0)4 75 07 00 82 +33 (0)4 75 40 31 63 +33 (0)04 75 84 81 64 [email protected] [email protected] www.domainedarnaud.com Domaine & Maison Les Alexandrins Domaine de Champal Dauvergne Ranvier +33 (0)4 75 08 69 44 +33 (0)4 78 34 21 21 +33 (0)4 66 82 96 59 lesalexandrins.com www.domaine-champal.com www.dauvergne-ranvier.com Amadieu M. Chapoutier Maison Delas Frères +33 (0)4 90 65 84 08 +33 (0)4 75 08 28 65 +33 (0)4 75 08 60 30 www.pierre-amadieu.com www.chapoutier.com www.delas.com Vignoble Amira Domaine du Chasselvin Vins Denuzière +33 (0)6 20 48 57 60 +33 (0)4 75 79 08 63 +33 (0)4 74 59 50 33 [email protected] www.domainedechasselvins.com