2022 Domaine Les Alexandrins, Saint-Joseph - Liberty

Domaine Les Alexandrins was founded in 2009 by two friends, viticulturist Alexandre Caso and winemaker Guillaume Sorrel, the son of Hermitage producer Marc Sorrel. In 2015, they partnered with Nicolas Jaboulet (of Jaboulet family fame) to make the Maison Les Alexandrins wines. As the name suggests, the wines from Domaine Les Alexandrins are made entirely using fruit from their own vineyards. Today the Domaine is run by Nicolas and Alexandre, with Benoît Busseuil responsible for winemaking.

The domaine’s 12 hectares of vines are all sustainably farmed, with the soil in their Crozes-Hermitage vineyards consisting of round pebbles, while the Saint-Joseph vines grow on granite slopes.

Both wines are made identically at the newly built Maison & Domaines Les Alexandrins winery, with fermentation in stainless steel and gentle punch downs and pumping over to extract silky tannins. Both wines then undergo malolactic fermentation in barrel, before ageing in used oak barrels, ranging from one to four years old. The judicious use of oak allows violets and black pepper notes to shine through in the Syrah. The Crozes-Hermitage has abundant red fruits and is true to its appellation, being the most approachable of the two wines. The Saint-Joseph, from 45-year-old vines, has more concentration and structure.

The grapes for this wine are sourced from four hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards in Saint-Joseph. The vines are grown on the round pebbles of the Les Chassis plains and are on average 30 years old, and trained on a Goblet trellising system.

The 2022 vintage will be remembered as a successful year with ideal climatic conditions. The summer months were particularly warm and dry, allowing the grapes to ripen perfectly and without excessive disease pressure. The harvest started on August 17th, early enough to preserve the natural freshness and balance in the grapes.

Maceration and fermentation proceeded over approximately 20 days, beginning with pump-overs during the initial phase and transitioning to punch-downs toward completion. The wine aged for 12 months in conical vats to develop complexity while preserving fresh, fruit-driven purity.

This wine is a deep ruby red in colour with aromas of blackberry, black pepper and cocoa. It is structured and refined, with a superb freshness and fine-grained tannins. The finish is long and fresh.