Domaine Vindiou "Cafiot" Crozes-Hermitage Rouge, Rhône Valley, France 2021

FROM PROGRESSION WINES:

THE WINE: 100% Syrah. This is light for a Crozes-Hermitage but retains the textbook aromas of meat, iodine, smoke, pepper etc. You can drink all of Thomas and Cyprien’s wines right away, no cellaring required.

THE PRODUCER: Vindiou is the winemaking project of Thomas and Cyprien, the two friends source grapes from local artisanal growers who work small plots without chemicals. Hand harvested, spontaneous fermentations, foot stomped. Vinification in stainless steel + used burgundy barrels (3-4 years old). No additions apart from small doses of SO2. Very small production, a few thousand bottles per vintage.

Their orange label wines are made with grapes from Ardèche and Northern Rhône. ​The red label wines are from single vineyards in the Northern Rhône. The brothers make wines with supreme drinkability, none of the wines require cellaring (although the top Syrahs will surely age beautifully). Light extraction, approachable styles but with all of the aromas you'd expect from the famous appellations of Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph.