Subtle florals with hint of bacon fat on the nose. Young but shows nicely with aeration. Purple fruit up front backed a super enticing minerally, mouthwatering framework of elegant tannins, followed by olive and spice notes on the finish. Damn, this is a nice vintage for the Thalabert cuvee.
Here is a bit of background on this cru...
"...The Thalabert vineyard sits on the rocky plain of Les Chassis on the left bank of the Rhone River, sandwiched between Tain l’Hermitage to the north and Pont de l’Isere to the south. In a large appellation such as Crozes, the quality of terroir is heavily varied, with preferred sites found on the stone-heavy, less clay influenced sections of Les Chassis, close to the riverbed. This area is where many of the appellations top producers grow their vines, including the famed Alain Graillot. In his book ‘The Wines of the Northern Rhone’ Jonathan Livingston Learmonth describes the soil as “a gravel couch (20-30 meters of gravelly stones), with around half a meter of alluvial stones of Alpine origin on the surface.” It is this so-called “French drain” that sets Thalabert apart as the benchmark terroir in the southern Crozes-Hermitage...
"...The Thalabert vineyard sits on the rocky plain of Les Chassis on the left bank of the Rhone River, sandwiched between Tain l’Hermitage to the north and Pont de l’Isere to the south. In a large appellation such as Crozes, the quality of terroir is heavily varied, with preferred sites found on the stone-heavy, less clay influenced sections of Les Chassis, close to the riverbed. This area is where many of the appellations top producers grow their vines, including the famed Alain Graillot. In his book ‘The Wines of the Northern Rhone’ Jonathan Livingston Learmonth describes the soil as “a gravel couch (20-30 meters of gravelly stones), with around half a meter of alluvial stones of Alpine origin on the surface.” It is this so-called “French drain” that sets Thalabert apart as the benchmark terroir in the southern Crozes-Hermitage...
- The first ever vineyard owned by Paul Jaboulet – purchased in 1834. Also holds the distinction as the oldest vineyard of the appellation. Considered the benchmark for Crozes-Hermitages with the ability to age for decades.
- 60-80 year old vines
- Biodynamically farmed
- Vines grown on pebbly terraces that are glacial in origin, with the bedrock close to the topsoil. These small, round pebbles store heat during the day and release it at night, providing optimum and regular maturity.
- Very low yields of 25 hl/ha
- Aged in French oak, 20% new
