One Family, Multiple Regions
... high quality across Europe ...
Many wine families and estates broaden their offering by opening new operations in regions outside their usual territory or engaging in a joint venture with an existing producer.
One thinks of Moët & Chandon opening Domaine Chandon in Napa in 1973 and, under the same name, a winery in Ningxia region of China in 2014 ; the 1979 joint venture between Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi to create Opus One; Lafite Rothschild establishing Viños Los Vascos in Chile; Mondavi and the Italian family Frescobaldi to create Luce and Ornellaia; Domaine Drouhin establishing a top-flight winery in Oregon; Louis Roederer’s USA operations now owning 25% of all vineyards in Anderson Valley, northern Californian. The list goes on and on.
Therefore, it is not surprising that a prominent Northern Rhône producer such as Alain Graillot would look further afield. With a site in the Ardèche creating a Côtes du Rhône, ‘Clos Somi’; the acquisition of land in Beaujolais in 2013 to establish Domaine de Fa; and joint ventures in both Spain and Morocco. The broader operations of this family company are now managed by two brothers, Antoine and Maxime, as Alain died in 2022.
Their Northern Rhône wines are superb. Consistently of the highest quality, and have built a strong following in France and beyond. Yapp Brothers bring in the other wines, so I thought a tasting across the board would be interesting to see how they matched up alongside each other.
1 - Domaine Alain Graillot, Côtes-du-Rhône ‘Clos Somi’ 2024
A couple of notches above the Côtes-du-Rhônes from the larger producers, this equally proportioned bland of Cinsault, Grenache Noir and Syrah, is an easy-drinking and immensely quaffable red. Characteristic Grenache spice on the nose, with a warm and friendly palate that would sit comfortably alongside cottage pie, steak and kidney, or a chicken and mushroom pie during any cold spells that still might be around this Spring.
£19.95 - Yapp - merchant link
2 - Tandem, Syrah du Maroc 2023
A joint venture between Alain Graillot and the Ouled Thaleb winery in Morocco. If a wine had been designed to perfectly match lamb tagine, then this ticks all the boxes. The combination of spices such as cumin, ginger, turmeric and saffron slowly pervading the structure and fibre of a very slow-cooked lamb dish with lots of root vegetables, then this is the ideal partner. Full-bodied and generous with plump red fruit backed with good acidity and tannins, works very, very well. Drink today.
£21.25 - Yapp - merchant link
3 - Antoine Graillot & Raúl Pérez ‘Encinas’ 2022
You do not see many wines entirely from the Mencia grape. Created in the Bierzo region of northwest Spain, it is a rich concoction that is difficult to place in relatively terms to any other wine. However, it is very drinkable, but definitely needs food. Venison, port-laden beef stews, rich and fatty barbecued lamb. Raul Pérez is a Spanish legend who has established a reputation for creating terroir-driven wines, and this richly complex wine with very appealing and desirable red cherries and plums on the palate is a great find.
£25.00 - Yapp - merchant link
4 - Domaine de Fa, Fleurie ‘Roche Guillon’ 2023
Both of these wines, the St Amour below, have close parallels.
The region of Beaujolais has been through a transformation over the last two decades with a host of new producers arriving from other wine producing regions to significantly lift the overall quality of: many of these new producers are creating wines that would be unrecognisable twenty years ago. The focus has been on the 10 ten individual crus creating red wines, who have their own designated AOCs, in the northern part of the region.
The grape is the Gamay. Albeit, anyone who remembers the Beaujolais wines of the 80s and 90s, might not recognise these new creations. They are many miles apart. The wines from a few dozen producers - both old hands and new arrivals - are on a quality level that simply did not generally exist at the turn of the century.
Domaine de Fa is one such example.
Both of these wines need some time. I bought some of their 2015s a few years ago, and tasting them over the last few weeks, I have been surprised by how well they have aged, and what a delight it has been to pull these corks. These 23s are full of ripe, rich cherries, blackberries, hints of violets, with light, earthy tones of tapenade, and a good finish. They are both a tad closed, but keep for another 5 or more years, and they wioll reward the cellaring. The panel preferred the Fleurie, because it was a touch more forward. Both need time, and the Saint Amour will pip the Fleurie to the post in a few years.
£27.95 - Yapp - merchant link
5 - Domaine de Fa, Saint Amour ‘Côte de Besset’ 2023
£29.25 - Yapp - merchant link
6 - Alain Graillot, Crozes Hermitage 2022
If you like Syrah grown in the Northern Rhône, then you will like this wine. It’s a bit young, but the classically flawless nose, depth, ansd overall character combine to create a brew will age to perfection by the early 2030s. Even though the extreme heat of this vintage worried many producers, the overall standard is looking excellent. It will mature into a wine with layers of complexity, that will sit well with roast beef, coq au vin, and game.
£36.50 - Yapp - merchant link
