Notify me
2016 Côtes-du-Rhône “Sierra du Sud”
Domaine GramenonThat Syrah is tough to sell is an old wine business cliché, and as with most clichés, there’s some truth in it. For whatever reason, this beguiling, dark-skinned grape hasn’t captivated wine drinkers the way other varieties have. I think it’s because the best Syrahs somehow seem inscrutable. Instead of leaping out of the glass, they pull you in. They have interesting and unusual aromas, and are slightly off-kilter in an intriguing way, like the waltz in 5/4 time in Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique. If you happen to be a Syrah devotee, like me, you probably appreciate these qualities in your wine—and perhaps in your music as well.
Although everyone’s experience is different, I’d be willing to wager that for most Syrah lovers, the seminal Syrah experience was with a bottle from the northern Rhône. It’s an improbable combination of grape and place, with vineyards so steep and punishing to work that even the scions of famous domaines think twice about taking over from their hardworking parents. Louis Barruol traverses the slopes of Côte Rôtie—the northernmost appellation in the northern Rhône—for the most expressive parcels of Syrah. He vinifies each separately, and then Kermit tastes through every lot and assembles the final blends.
Farther south, at Domaine Gramenon, the terrain is a bit less forbidding and the Syrah a bit more extroverted. Proprietor Michèle Aubèry-Laurent skews natural in her farming and winemaking, and her wines are effortlessly enjoyable. Maybe you’re not in the mood for Tchaikovsky and would prefer some mischievous Stravinsky instead.
Don’t be thrown off by the appellation. This Côtes-du-Rhône is all Syrah: lots of flowers, dark berry fruit, and smoky notes for diligent sniffers to discover.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Syrah |
Appellation: | Côtes-du-Rhône |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine Gramenon |
Winemaker: | Michèle Aubèry-Laurent & Maxime François Laurent |
Vineyard: | 15-35 Years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone varied with gravel, galets roulés, and/or sand |
Aging: | Grapes macerate for 12 days in cement cuve, Wine ages in both cuve and in barriques for 7 months before bottling |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “L' Emouvante”
France | Southern Rhône
Deep, concentrated, and refreshingly saline, this is like great Cornas with Mediterranean influences.
NV Clairette de Die Brut
France | Southern Rhône
A dry sparkler made exclusively from Clairette
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
France | Southern Rhône
A masterpiece of old-vine Grenache—decant, or hold up to ten years in a cool place.
2021 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
Grenache is joined by Syrah and a drop of Mourvèdre to create this delightful everyday red scented with herbes de Provence and ripe black cherry.
2022 Côtes du Rhône Villages Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
We aimed for maximum drinkability in our blend, and accordingly, you’ll find plenty of hedonistic purple-tinged fruit in this wine, along with a hint of wild herbs and lovely floral notes akin to lavender and violet.
2021 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
France | Southern Rhône
A fresh, pure entry point to the Rhône’s great reds with aromas and flavors of black cherries, stones, and a hint of black olive.
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Contre Couleur”
France | Southern Rhône
Deep, dynamic Grenache feels aptly highlighted by bright and fresh Clairette. Soft and rich, yet still defined.
2022 Vin de France Rosé “Au Petit Bonheur”
France | Southern Rhône
Les Pallières’s rosé looks ethereal—you might easily mistake it for a white wine—yet when you take a sip, your taste buds are flooded by intensely vivid flavors of Provençal herbs.
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “Poignée de Raisins”
France | Southern Rhône
Serve this one cool, from a carafe, with a plain old burger—generously seasoned with herbes de Provence.
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
France | Southern Rhône
La Sagesse carries the full flavor, succulence, and savoriness we associate with Grenache on a graceful and lively frame.
About The Producer
Domaine Gramenon
More from Southern Rhône or France
2022 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “L' Emouvante”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel Rosé MAGNUM
Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Contre Couleur”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
NV Clairette de Die Brut
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône
2022 Ventoux Rouge “Mégaphone”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif”
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône
2021 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2022 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Clos la Roquète”
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône “L' Emouvante”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2021 Côtes-du-Rhône “La Sagesse”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
2022 Tavel Rosé MAGNUM
Trinquevedel France | Southern Rhône
2021 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Contre Couleur”
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône
NV Clairette de Die Brut
Achard-Vincent France | Southern Rhône
2022 Ventoux Rouge “Mégaphone”
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône
2022 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge “Il Fait Soif”
Maxime-François Laurent France | Southern Rhône
2021 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
Domaine de Durban France | Southern 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