2022 Crozes Hermitage Les Trois Chenes
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Smoky black fruits, roasted herbs, graphite, and ground pepper all define the 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Chênes, a richly textured, medium to full-bodied, incredibly impressive effort from Crozes. Made from 100% Syrah and aged 18 months in a mix of tanks, demi-muids, and barrels, it's balanced, has ripe, polished tannins, terrific mid-palate density, and a great finish. Drink 2027-2037. One of the rising superstars of the Northern Rhône, Emmanuel Darnaud produced his first vintage in 2001 and initially focused on Crozes-Hermitage, where he quickly built a reputation for pure, impeccably made wines. He has steadily expanded his holdings and now produces several cuvées from Crozes-Hermitage and Saint Joseph, as well as a Hermitage from parcels recently inherited from Bernard Faurie, with 2021 marking his first vintage from the appellation. Winemaking is traditional, with fermentation in wooden and concrete vats and élevage in a mix of barrels and demi-muids with modest new oak. The wines show incredible purity, balance, and texture, which sometimes gives them a slightly more polished, quasi-modern feel, yet they remain classic Northern Rhônes at their core. The 2023s look solid across the board, showing impressive structure (which isn't a given in the vintage), and the 2022s unquestionably rank among the top wines in each appellation. I was thrilled to see the quality of his 2022 Hermitage, which comes from old vines and some of the top terroirs on this magical hill. The sky is the limit here.
Critic scores
Average Score
Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Chênes is a terrific wine, wafting from the glass with aromas of violets, mulberries, spices, pepper and flowers, all beautifully intertwined with a lovely reduction. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping and polished, it's very charming with a fleshy, gourmand core of fruit and velvety tannins, culminating in a long, sensual and ethereal finish. Crafted from three terroirs located in the Pont d'Isère, La Roche de Glun and Mercurol communes, it was matured for 16 months in a combination of barrels and large barrels, with less than 10% being new.
The 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Chênes starts with red cherry, red plum, spicy aspects and a touch of graphite on the aromatic profile. Touching the palate with solid flavor concentration, the 2022 is built around fine-grained tannins and checks out with a persistent cadence on the savory finish.
Fermentation in concrete – part whole bunch this vintage. Aged for 18 months in a mix of tank, demi-muids and barrels. In conversion to organic. Cask/tank sample. Tasted blind. A bright nose with both red and dark fruits and a spiced clove note. Rich mid palate with supple, textured tannins. The fruit is vivid and there is a slight coffee (oak-derived) note on the finish. Youthful and needs a year or two to come together but should provide nice medium-term drinking. (AC)