Syrah
75cl * 13.5% ABV * Northern Rhone, France
Jaboulet’s La Chapelle Hermitage is one of the world’s most sought after and expensive wines in all the Rhône, however the house’s lesser known bottlings always manage to provide an affordable glimpse of that same greatness. The Thalabert vineyards were the first purchased by the founding family and are among the oldest in the appellation. Full flavoured, gamey Syrah like this loves smoked bacon. Drink to 2028.
The 2015 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert is a super effort, packed with savory notes of black olives and crushed stones. It's full-bodied and rich, with a hint of cedary oak, but there's plenty of fruit and ripe tannins on the lingering finish. Like some of those fine Thalabert vintages of the past, it should drink well for a couple of decades.
93/100 Joe Czerwinski (Dec 2017)