Northern Rhone series 18, Equinoxe 2009 from Maxime Graillot

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Northern Rhone series 18, Equinoxe 2009 from Maxime Graillot

I’m so excited by this wine I’m blogging on it minutes after opening it and trying it for the first time. It’s the Crozes-Hermitage Equinoxe 2009 by Maxime Graillot (Alain’s son), and it’s just fabulous.

Made for early drinking, sealed with a screwcap (saranex liner, mind, good choice), this is inky dark and alive, with vivid black cherry and blackberry fruit. It’s so edgy, with grippy, gravelly tannins, restrained savoury meatiness, and lovely acidity. This is essence of Northern Rhone Syrah, with amazing fruit quality and yet not a sign of spoofiness.

Nowhere else can make Syrah quite like this. It was only £13.95 from Berry Bros, but since I bought the bottle last week they’ve moved on to the 2010, which should be equally good if not better. Yapp may well still have some 2009. This is a stunning bargain.

3 Comments on Northern Rhone series 18, Equinoxe 2009 from Maxime GraillotTagged ,
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

3 thoughts on “Northern Rhone series 18, Equinoxe 2009 from Maxime Graillot

  1. I had a bottle of his Domaine Des Lises 2009 Crozes Hermitage 2 days ago (kindly given to me by his South African importer, Alex Dale of Winery of Good Hope) and it was an absolutely fantastic wine. Fresh, pure, focused and balanced with great expression of Syrah fruit coupled with the crunchy tannins typical of Crozes, all at an amazing 13 % alcohol (and very reasonable price, landed in South Africa). An inspiration and delight to fellow Syrah producer in the Southern Hemisphere.

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