“Feels like a wine you’ll find in a Michelin-starred restaurant” says Julien Miquel of our Domaine Aléofane 2019. In case you haven’t yet received your French Collection, Aléofane comes to us from the village of Crozes-Hermitage, which sits on a terraced vine hillside along the Rhône River.
Aléofane means “gem of truth.” Winemaker Natacha Chave refuses any sort of unnatural intervention, doing every aspect of the process entirely by hand and – Calchaquí style – without chemicals, fining, or filtration. From her 50 year old vines, she coaxes a dense, powerful little syrah bomb.
Julien continues: “I love the aromas of creamy milk chocolate, the super ripe, dark cherries, opulent candied apple and white pepper… there’s a hint of venison as well, a little bit meaty and animalistic... an interesting combination…”
Aléofane might be one of the most interesting bottles in the collection. The terroir, with its galets roulés(smooth, round stones) is something out of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The varietal and climate are pure Rhône. There’s a genius to Natacha’s lack of intervention here. With that much personality, there’s simply no room for the winemaker’s ego.
You can learn more about Aléofane, along with the entire 6 bottle collection, in Julien’s tasting video below. You’ll find tasting notes, food pairings, and – for you cellar owners – cellaring estimates for each wine.
Until next week,
The Wine Explorer