Domaine Les Alexandrins, Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
Vintage: 2022
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | AX101B22 | 6 x 75 | Natural Cork | Contact Us |
Producer
Domaine Les Alexandrins was founded in 2009 by two friends, viticulturist Alexandre Caso and winemaker Guillaume Sorrel, the son of Hermitage producer Marc Sorrel. In 2015, they partnered with Nicolas Jaboulet (of Jaboulet family fame) to make the Maison Les Alexandrins wines. As the name suggests, the wines from Domaine Les Alexandrins are made entirely using fruit from their own vineyards. Today the Domaine is run by Nicolas and Alexandre, with Benoît Busseuil responsible for winemaking.
The domaine’s 12 hectares of vines are all sustainably farmed, with the soil in their Crozes-Hermitage vineyards consisting of round pebbles, while the Saint-Joseph vines grow on granite slopes.
Both wines are made identically at the newly built Maison & Domaines Les Alexandrins winery, with fermentation in stainless steel and gentle punch downs and pumping over to extract silky tannins. Both wines then undergo malolactic fermentation in barrel, before ageing in used oak barrels, ranging from one to four years old. The judicious use of oak allows violets and black pepper notes to shine through in the Syrah. The Crozes-Hermitage has abundant red fruits and is true to its appellation, being the most approachable of the two wines. The Saint-Joseph, from 45-year-old vines, has more concentration and structure.
Vineyards
The fruit for this wine comes from four hectares of sustainably-farmed vineyard in Crozes-Hermitage. The vineyards are planted on clay and sand soils located in the villages of Pont d’Isère (Les Flouris) and Beaumont Monteux (Vie Magne). The climate here is semi-continental.
Vintage
The 2022 vintage presented contrasting climatic conditions that ultimately delivered exceptional quality grapes with promising aromatic complexity, though yields varied across plots. An exceptionally mild and dry winter-spring period—with January and May recording the driest conditions since 1900 and record temperatures in May-June—maintained perfect vine health with no disease pressure. The sunny, hot summer initially suggested high alcohol potential, but timely mid-August rains allowed gradual maturation. Light September rainfall required careful vineyard sorting but preserved grape quality.
Vinification
Grapes for this wine were hand harvested then taken to the winery where they were 70% destemmed. Cold maceration lasted for three days prior to fermentation. Once fermentation began, the must had alternating pump overs and punch downs daily to ensure optimum extraction of colour and aromatics from the skins. Fermentation to dryness took 20 days before the wine was aged in two-year-old barrels for 12 months prior to bottling.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
This wine is deeply coloured with a purple hue. On the nose, it is concentrated with notes of blackberries, blackcurrant and a subtle smokiness. The palate is smooth and well-balanced with red and black fruit notes framed by fine grained tannins and bright acidity.
Alcohol (ABV)
13.5%
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domaine Les Alexandrins | Saint-Joseph | AX102 | R |