Honestly, we’re trying our best today to avoid sounding like The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but when the greatest price-to-quality Hermitage we’ve ever offered becomes available again, despite us fully believing there wasn’t any left to be had, it’s impossible to pass up. As we’ve learned, three times now, Fayolle’s “Les Dionnières” sells out fast—blink and you’ll miss it fast (the longest it’s taken has been inside of two hours).
Each time, the small allocation that was absorbed by our subscribership also completely zeroed out the importer’s inventory. And, each time, a flurry of phone calls and emails followed, which eventually resulted in more small releases from Fayolle’s cellar. Turns out, only the importer’s president knew today’s final micro-batch was en route, and after getting wind of it we purchased all that remained—while it was still crossing the Atlantic. For all intents and purposes, this is the final battle cry of Fayolle’s universally beloved ‘15 Hermitage. Maybe you still haven’t had a chance to savor this stunning Hermitage (check the blazing-hot reviews for further reassurance), or maybe you’ve already polished off the bottles you previously bought—either way, we urge you to take full advantage of this extraordinary hall-of-fame offer for the very last time.
For those who previously missed it: This is a severely limited release of Syrah from “Les Dionnières,” a lieu-dit vineyard that sits along the base of Hermitage. While most of the 345 acres on this towering hillside appellation are sectioned off for the heavy hitters, there are a few small growers blessed with a sliver of vines—father-son team Jean-Claude and Nicolas Fayolle own just two of these acres. Here’s what you’re getting in today’s bottle: An under-the-radar producer; hand-crafted wine from the most coveted Syrah site in the world; and the blockbuster 2015 vintage—one that legendary Marcel Guigal called the best of his 55+-year career.
Jean-Claude and Nicolas Fayolle (second and third generation, respectively) are crafting superb, small-batch Hermitage in both rouge and blanc incarnations. Nicolas has been alongside his father since 2003, after obtaining a viticulture-enology degree in Mâcon. Previously, Nicolas’ grandfather, who founded the estate in 1958, was tending to apricots in these rows, not grapes. Jean-Claude slowly began the conversion as the estate evolved, but it’s odd to imagine, on such a treasured hillside where Syrah grapes are treated as diamonds, that anything else would be planted. Thankfully, the family is now 100% committed to grape-growing and winemaking.
The Fayolles’ parcel in “Les Dionnières” sits on a soft slope on the eastward continuation of Hermitage’s majestic hilltop (their plot is down the hill and to the left). Their Syrah vines are approximately 40 years of age and are planted in granitic clay soils with a large presence of small pebbles. Due to Fayolle’s lutte raisonnée (‘reasoned fight’) farming philosophy, along with the steep inclines found on Hermitage, they farm and harvest by hand (the lay of the land makes mechanization impossible anyway). After a whole-bunch fermentation with twice-daily punch-downs, the wine was sent into neutral oak barriques (roughly 8-10 years old) for 15 months. After a light filtering, the wine is bottled, 100% Syrah. Out of the tiny production, most stays in France; some was sold off to négociants; and the rest was squeezed out of their importer so we could offer it to you.
In the glass, Fayolle’s 2015 Dionnières flaunts its youth with a concentrated deep purple core leading out to a dark magenta rim. On the nose, this inky heavyweight reveals itself with fresh aromas of boysenberry, blackberry liqueur, blueberry, black cherry, wild purple flowers, roasted meats, olive tapenade, and subtle spice. Coming in full-bodied, you’ll be met with unmatched density and richness that is directly countered by perfect tension. The lifted acidity here keeps the palate from feeling “weighed down” and the vibrant black and blue core of fruit shines through gracefully. As with other blue-chip Northern Rhône wines, this will reward exponentially the longer you wait, entering its prime at year seven or eight years—though you can expect this to keep for decades if stored properly (some of my favorite aged wines of all time have been 25+-year-old Hermitage). If waiting a quarter-century sounds tiring, please decant as long as possible; I’d advise a minimum 2-3 hours before consuming in large Bordeaux stems. Whichever you choose—waiting or drinking now—I’m confident you’ll be stunned, especially when paired alongside a flavorful lamb biryani. The attached recipe is about as detailed as you can get. Enjoy!
