2023 Crozes Hermitage Les Meysonniers

The 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers has slightly riper aromatics of black raspberries, pepper, wildflowers, and spice that carry to a medium-bodied Syrah that's beautifully balanced, with fine tannins and outstanding length. This cuvée comes from 100% Syrah and spent 12 months in 90% concrete tanks and 10% used puncheons. This was another standout tasting with Michel Chapoutier and his team, and the range continues to be among the most extensive and consistently high-quality in the region. The lineup covers every major appellation in the Northern Rhône, with a continued emphasis on finesse, vibrancy, and site expression. Starting around 2017 or 2018, there's been a clear move toward a lighter touch, and whole cluster fermentations are now used more selectively across the range. On the white side, the team is picking earlier, working with lower alcohols, more reductive winemaking, and aiming to hold onto more CO? in the finished wines, part of an effort to limit early oxidation. Still, I remain unconvinced that the shift will yield better aging potential, or better wines for that matter. Looking back, it is often the richer, more powerful vintages like 2009 and 2010 that have aged best and are still youthful, while livelier, more acid-driven years such as 2001 already show clear signs of oxidation. More importantly, even if these leaner styles age longer, they tend to remain lean, linear wines without the texture, layers, richness, and depth that define the best whites of the Northern Rhône. Hermitage, and to a degree the entire region, remains one of the few places where Marsanne and Roussanne can reach true ripeness and bring incredible richness while still staying pure and light on their feet. Early harvesting risks losing that identity, and taken to the extreme, these fresher, more linear wines could come from almost anywhere. The 2022s show the estate's modern style at its most refined, with purity and balance as well as plenty of depth and structure. The 2023s are already showing finesse and class, with solid depth of fruit. From entry-level values to the top Sélections Parcellaires cuvées, there's certainly something here for every Rhône lover.

Raised entirely in concrete, the juicy 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers kicks off with notes of ripe black cherry, red plum and a citric flicker of grapefruit. Easygoing and inviting, I’d like to see the medium-bodied 2023 picking up a little more concentration and length during the remainder of its élevage.

Fans of Rhône Syrah will no doubt be familiar with this textbook red. Mixed vintage conditions have given this expression a light touch with more elegance than recent years, it showcases classic notes of lifted violet and dried herbs opening into spiced dark plum and grilled meat flavours, all tied together with the silkiest tannins.