Vineyards and winemaking
La Guiraude is not a single-vineyard wine, but a selection of the finest barrels from Alain Graillot’s Crozes-Hermitage cellar in a year considered worthy of the cuvée. The Syrah comes from well-drained alluvial and gravel soils on the plain near Pont-de-l’Isère, where warm days and the northern Rhône’s cooling Mistral help preserve fragrance and definition.
The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with whole bunches and native yeasts, a defining element of the Graillot approach. The wine then matures for around a year in predominantly used French oak, building structure without imposing new-oak flavour, before being lightly filtered for bottling.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep ruby-garnet, with a mature brick-red reflection at the rim.
Nose
Blackberry and dark cherry sit alongside dried violet, black olive and cracked pepper. With air, more evolved notes of leather, smoked meat, woodland floor and cocoa begin to emerge.
Palate
Structured yet finely drawn, with savoury black fruit, fresh acidity and tannins that have softened while retaining grip. Liquorice, graphite and dried herbs add complexity, leading to a long finish of pepper, earth and dark fruit. As with any mature bottle, development will depend on storage and individual condition.
Food pairing
Pair with slow-roasted shoulder of lamb, venison haunch with juniper, beef olives in a rich gravy, or a mushroom and suet pudding. Stand the bottle upright before opening and decant gently, tasting as you go rather than exposing it to air automatically for a fixed period.
Background story
Alain Graillot founded his domaine in Crozes-Hermitage in 1985 and became one of the appellation’s benchmark growers. Whole-bunch fermentation, restrained use of oak and an emphasis on savoury freshness helped establish a style admired well beyond the northern Rhône.
La Guiraude is the domaine’s rarest Crozes-Hermitage, assembled from the barrels that show the greatest depth and balance rather than produced every year. The 2013 therefore represents a cellar selection within an already highly regarded estate, now offering the additional complexity of bottle age.
