Les Hauts du Fief Crozes-Hermitage 2015

Jeb Dunnuck at Wine Advocate heaped praise on this wine, describing it as “big, rich, mouth-filling and downright decadent, yet with elegance and sweet tannin, a blockbuster”. It’s from the renowned Cave de Tain, a hugely well regarded co-op and one of the most important producers in the northern Rhône. They boast extensive vineyards across the finest appellations – no wonder they make superb, rich wines. Their winemaker Xavier Froulin was particularly impressed with the grape quality at Gervans in 2015 – a vineyard with stony granite soils that enhance concentration. He gently pressed the fruit to extract the juice, then aged the wine a year in fine oak casks. The result is a dark, velvety and complex red, perfect with game and red meats.