2006 Domaine des Entrefaux, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone, France

MilwaukeeWine.com bought the last remaining cases of this Crozes-Hermitage at a great price and we are passing on the savings. For those of you that love full-bodied reds with thick tannins and flavors of pepper and smoke this is the wine for you. Normally it would be priced at $25 a bottle. This earthy Syrah is perfect for rich stews and root vegetables... and all types of meat.

This 100% Syrah is from the northern Rhone valley in France and it is showing real beautifully, so we are using it to kick off a month of wines from the Rhone Valley.

Tasting Notes
Deep ruby red color. Complex nose of fruits and spices, mineral notes. Round and unctuous on the palate, fresh and well balanced. Fine and chalky tannins. Ripe red fruit flavors, smoky and tarry characters.

The Estate
Domaine des Entrefaux, located in the small village of Mercurol, was once part of the local cooperative at the beginning of the century. The owners, Charles Tardy and his son Francois, decided to produce wine under their own label in 1979. They currently grow grapes and walnuts.

The Vineyard
They farm 25 hectares (61.75 acres) of vines: 21 hectares of Syrah and 4 hectares of Marsanne. The yield is a small 40 hectoliters/hectare with average vine age of 30 years old. The vineyards lie in Mercurol thought to be the best location for Crozes-Hermitage. The grapes are hand harvested, 100% de-stemmed, classic fermentation and then 12 months of aging in barrels from one to three years of age.

Winemaker:  Francois Tardy

Location: Quatier de la Beaume, Chanos Curson

Grape: 100% Syrah trained to Cordon de Royat with an average age of 25 years and a plant density of 5-6,000 vines per hectare.

Terroir: Argilo calcaire and stoney, Alpine diluvium. Altitude of 130 metres

Viticulture: De-buds and green harvests. Prevents oidium with sulphur. 'Bio' treatment for pests. Organic fertiliser only. Both ploughs and grows grass in places. Manual harvest. Yield of 40 hectos per hectare. 

Vinification: Destalks 100% and part crushes. Cement tanks. Indigenous yeasts. Temperature between 25C and 30C. Remontage once or twice a day for 10-15 days. Pneumatic press and the press wine is added back after the malo. No heating of the cellars for the malo. Elévage lasts a year using 10% cuve and 90% 228 litre fûts between 1 and 10yrs old. Racked once or twice. Fined by bentonite and lightly filtered by plaque, then bottled using their own bottling line. 5,000 cases produced.