Domaine Rousset Crozes Hermitage Rouge Les Picaudieres 2023

Domaine Rousset Crozes Hermitage Rouge Les Picaudieres 2023

Stéphane Rousset’s vineyards are in Crozes-Hermitage’s northern communes of Erôme, Gervans and Crozes-Hermitage, including the legendary Les Picaudières. The hill structures and soil types differ significantly throughout the appellation with various exposures on moderate to very steep rock terraces. Rousset’s Marsanne grows mostly on loess topsoil and granite bedrock. The Crozes-Hermitage red wine terroirs are largely on granite with some variations of igneous and metamorphic rock. Across the river, in Tournon, two adjacent blocks of St. Joseph grow on extremely steep granite slopes. Whites are whole cluster pressed, fermented in concrete, mostly aged in steel without malolactic with remaining in oak. The reds are partial stem inclusion and are fermented in steel and then racked to barrel or tank where they age for about a year.

Rousset’s Crozes-Hermitage Rouge Les Picaudières is 100% Syrah from a parcel northeast above Gervans planted 55 years ago (2023) on extremely steep south-facing terraces at 245-345m on granite and schist bedrock with a shallow rocky topsoil. Mostly destemmed (depending on the season; warmer years get more stems), naturally fermented steel and aged in 75% used 225-500L French before bottling. Light filtration at bottling.