In his remarkably elegant Crozes-Hermitage, made of 100% Syrah, Louis Barruol embodies the truism that sometimes those who are most passionate about a place and its traditions are its outsiders. Louis is a native of the southern Rhône Valley, but tasting his exquisite Crozes, you might reasonably wonder if the northern part of the valley, where Syrah is king, is his spiritual homeland.
      Sure, he blends a little Syrah into his famous Gigondas down south, but vinifying the grape on its own—as is the norm in appellations like Crozes-Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas—requires an entirely different skill set and taste than blending it with other grapes like Grenache and Cinsault. Louis embraces the highly unusual challenge of reaching outside his home region to make a handful of northern Rhône cuvées quite simply because he adores the north’s most classic examples he grew up drinking, and he pays his respect to them through his collaborations with Kermit via the Barruol/Lynch label.
      In this cuvée, Louis blends Syrah from half a dozen of Crozes-Hermitage’s crème de la crème lieux-dits. All it takes is one sip to realize he has produced a masterful and lithe red wine that swims gracefully across your palate with notes of dark fruit, herbs, and a touch of brine. If you love northern Rhône Syrah, don’t miss this one.