Crozes-Hermitage Nouvelère 2015
Domaine Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet
Terroir: After the sale, Philippe and Vincent retained about 32 acres of the family’s vineyards, including most notably a parcel of the original Thalabert vineyard, which is situated in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation. The parcel from the Thalabert vineyard that belonged to Paul Jaboulet Aîné was renamed Nouvelère, commemorating the ‘new era’.
The vineyard plot now known as Nouvelère, and before Thalabert, the Jaboulet family called this parcel Les Grandes Vignes, a recognition of (and tribute to) the old age of the vines, which are between 50-80 years old. The Crozes-Hermitage Nouvelère vineyard is scattered with big, boulder-sized rocks and large pebbles, so the high-density plantation of the vines must be entirely worked by hand; they are trellised in échalas style, which is the appellation’s classic single pole design. It is made entirely from estate-grown grapes, like all the wines produced by the estate.
Vinification: Philippe and Vincent practice a sustainable farming, respecting the nature as much as possible. They received the HEV certification (sustainable certification) which guarantees high level of environmental performance. This certification was created as a contribution to the implementation of the agro-ecological project launched by the French Minister in December 2012. To improve complexity, they lower the yields to 35-40hl/ha, by practicing green harvest and planting vines closer to each other forcing the vines to compete against each other which naturally regulate the yields. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed and chilled for 24 to 48 hours in order to preserve the aromas of the fruit and spread out the work in the winery. The fermentation occurs in wooden vats to allow complex and smooth tannins through micro-oxygenation. Maceration lasts three to four weeks, which is long. Both Pump-overs and punch-downs are performed twice a day. The goal is to extract color, aromas and tannins to express the terroir. It also requires longer ageing. This wine was aged for 24 months in oak barrel, 30% in 25hl barrel called “foudre” and 70% in small 228l barrels (some new oak).
Additional Information
Dark fruit is the core characteristic of this lively 100% Syrah wine. Slightly spicy, with raspberry and blackcurrant flavors, and lots of grip on the finish. This wine has had considerable time in the bottle, but the fruit is still fresh and intense.
Technical Details
- Appellation: Crozes-Hermitage
- Winemaker: Vincent Jaboulet
- Sustainability: Organic Practices, High Environmental Value Certification
- Soil: Poor, gravel, rocks
- Vineyard Acreage: 32 acres
- Avg Vine Age: 50-80 years
- Yield: 35-40hl/ha
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Avg Production: 15,000 bottles
- Sizes Available: 750ml
- Pack Size: 12/750ml
- Varietals: 100% Syrah
