Notify me
2016 Crozes Hermitage “Tenay”
Barruol / LynchLouis Barruol
In the cellar
Tasting it from barrel, the telling aromas of graphite and savory spices suggested this was no ordinary Crozes...
Louis Barruol’s cellar is a tour de force of the noble appellations of the Northern Rhône, with barrel after barrel housing exquisite nectars from the slopes of Côte-Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, and Crozes Hermitage. Each year, we meet with Louis to sample the year’s crop, tasting our way through the cellar to ultimately select the best lots to be shipped across the pond.
With the 2016 vintage, the biggest surprises came from Crozes Hermitage, an appellation with an immense diversity of terroirs. The clear standout, Tenay, is an upper-slope parcel just north of the hill of Hermitage, its 45 year-old Syrah vines directly overlooking the Rhône to the west. The soil—a lean layer of sand over granite bedrock—bears more resemblance to the great sites of Hermitage than to the lower-lying alluvial plots that make up the majority of Crozes. Tasting it from barrel, the telling aromas of graphite and savory spices suggested this was no ordinary Crozes; its deep, penetrating flavors and dense, fine-grained tannins indicated a wine flirting with Hermitage-level quality.
Rather than include it in our comprehensive Crozes Hermitage blend, we asked that Louis bottle Tenay separately. For him, working with northern Rhône Syrah means whole-cluster fermentation, aging in neutral wood, and forgoing filtration—the methods of choice of Rhône legends like Marius Gentaz and Auguste Clape. By applying this savoir-faire to a newfound terroir of serious caliber, Louis demonstrates that Crozes can be a wine of real finesse, and not simply a bargain Syrah.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Syrah |
Appellation: | Crozes Hermitage |
Country: | France |
Region: | Northern Rhône |
Producer: | Barruol Lynch - Northern Rhône |
Winemaker: | Louis Barruol |
Vineyard: | 30-50 years |
Soil: | Granite |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Côte-Rôtie “Les Roses”
France | Northern Rhône
The magic of great Côte Rôtie does not come from its reputation for being a big, bombastic wine.
2021 Côte-Rôtie “Besset”
France | Northern Rhône
From the classic aromas of graphite, black fruit, and roasted spice, to the total finesse of its tannins, this is Côte-Rôtie at its best.
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “Châtelet”
France | Northern Rhône
Hailing from a single vineyard high up on the hill above Saint-Désirat, at the middle point of the Saint-Joseph appellation, this cuvée dials up the fragrance and elegance of Monier-Pérreol’s Saint-Joseph.
2022 Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes”
France | Northern Rhône
The perfect lively, uncomplicated Syrah you’ll want to have over and over again.
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Gervans”
France | Northern Rhône
Full of finesse, it opens into black cherry fruits and plentiful violet, soft leather notes playing around the edges.
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
France | Northern Rhône
This juicy, blueberry-and-leather-infused Syrah with a long finish is ready to drink tonight.
2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
France | Northern Rhône
Elegance and restraint from one of the hill’s lesser-known terroirs.
2020 Côte-Rôtie “Fongeant”
France | Northern Rhône
This cuvée is sourced exclusively from the Fongeant lieu-dit, which sits right on the border of the Côte Blonde and Côte Brune, and is renowned for sharing the best of both.
2018 Hermitage Blanc “La Pierrelle”
France | Northern Rhône
From vines that are more than eighty years old comes this Marsanne with magnificent floral, pit fruit, and bitter notes.
2019 Côte-Rôtie “La Boisselée”
France | Northern Rhône
Made from six vineyards that, when blended, showcase the whole of the Côte Rôtie appellation.
About The Producer
Barruol Lynch - Northern Rhône
More from Northern Rhône or France
2022 Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “Châtelet”
Domaine Monier Perréol France | Northern Rhône
2019 Saint-Joseph Rouge
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint Joseph Rouge “La Gloriette Vieilles Vignes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “L’Instinct”
Domaine Jolivet France | Northern Rhône
2020 Ardèche Syrah “Syrah Mauve”
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2020 Côte-Rôtie “Fongeant”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint Joseph Blanc “Les Ribaudes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2021 Condrieu
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Cuvée de Louis”
Domaine Jolivet France | Northern Rhône
2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2022 Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “Châtelet”
Domaine Monier Perréol France | Northern Rhône
2019 Saint-Joseph Rouge
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint Joseph Rouge “La Gloriette Vieilles Vignes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “L’Instinct”
Domaine Jolivet France | Northern Rhône
2020 Ardèche Syrah “Syrah Mauve”
Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2020 Côte-Rôtie “Fongeant”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint Joseph Blanc “Les Ribaudes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2021 Condrieu
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Cuvée de Louis”
Domaine Jolivet France | Northern Rhône
2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171