Domaine des Escaravailles "Les Hautes Granges" Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix 2019

Description

Domaine des Escaravailles “Les Hautes Granges” Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix 2019 is a super 100% Syrah or Shiraz Rhône wine. It is produced from old vines and only in exceptional years. It originates from a small and lesser-known Côtes du Rhône named village in the Southern Rhône region, Roaix. This is one of only 18 named villages permitted to add the name of the village after Côtes du Rhône Villages on the label when all the grapes originate from that village, as they do here, hence Côtes du Rhône Roaix. Fairly unusually for the Rhône it is produced 100% from Syrah or Shiraz. The producer is one of my favourites of the region, Domaine des Escaravailles – Escaravailles is the name for beetles in the local dialect, Occitan, hence the beetle on the label and on the cork of this bottle; it is also said to be a nickname for black-robed monks that used to tend the vineyards in days gone by.

This small winery, in the Ferran family since 1953, is situated high up in the Rasteau region; its Syrah vines (a clone of Northern Rhône Syrah called Serein) are c. 40 years old. Domaine des Escaravailles “Les Hautes Granges” Côtes du Rhône Villages Roaix 2019 is really special because it is only produced in exceptional years and even then is only available in small quantities. The ageing vines and pebbly limestone soils help add to the intensity and complexity of flavours – black fruits, raspberries, violet, savoury meaty notes, white pepper and spices. It is aged for 9 months in 2 year old oak barrels – brand new barrels might impart too much oak into the wine so the effect is more subtle with older barrels. And yet despite the structure and intensity of this wine it is super smooth. Very impressive!

For an elegant, lighter Syrah from the Rhône, try M Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage “Les Meysonniers”.