Description
The Robin family have grown grapes in Crozes-Hermitage for four generations, the first vineyard a 1.27 ha plot acquired by Gilles’ great-grandfather Louis Pasquion in 1920. But until 1995 the production was substantially sold to the local cooperative in Tain l’Hermitage. When Gilles took over from his father Michel in 1996 however, he set the estate on a new course, bottling his first wines under the Gilles Robin label. More than 25 vintages later he is widely regarded as one of the top producers of the region.
In 1996 the estate was just 10 ha and nearly all in Crozes-Hermitage. Today, it has expanded to 22 ha and includes prime holdings in Hermitage, Cornas, St-Joseph and St-Peray, as well as the original vineyards in Crozes. The average age of vines across the estate is now more than 40 years, and this combined with meticulous work in the vineyards brings great concentration and complexity to the finished wines. In 2012 Gilles began working with organic viticulture and today the estate is certified organic.
In the winery, extractions are gentle and slow, often 30 days or more and maturation is in a mix of barriques and demi-muids (< 20% new) for 12 – 24 months. From 2019 onwards the reds have been vinified with 100 % whole bunches. There has also been a notable move towards ageing in larger 500+ 600 litre demi-muids in recent year with very few smaller 228 litre barrels in use. So the wines show less oak as a result and greater fruit purity helped by the whole bunch fermentations since 2019 vintage.
About this wine: Formerly called ‘Albéric Bouvet’ is produced from vines in 3 sites averaging more than 40 years old located on the best red clay soils close to the Hermitage hill.
4 stars, John Livingstone-Learmonth, drinkrhone.com, April 2022 “.. dark hued robe; the nose has a built-in abundance, served via its sweet depth, a plump tone of macerated berries, with hints of oak and musky flowers. The palate engages immediately, has a broad, fleshy opening, is tasty and continuous, with style in the tannins that help its length and togetherness. This is a rather plunging wine, the product of a hot summer in its bounty. The aftertaste is still a little young, tarry and insistent. It can be decanted given a little reduction. Drink from 2023-2033-35″
RRP $67 Our Special Price $54.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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