Last year, we claimed this could be the best-value Hermitage on the market, and our limited supplies dried up in less than one hour. The second time we offered it, we contacted the importer, who in turn did the same with Domaine Fayolle, and an even smaller batch was released. Again, it vanished inside of 60 minutes. At the time, we thought that was the end of Fayolle’s microscopic 200-case production from the buzzed-about 2015 vintage. Fast forward to last month: We’re sitting down with Fayolle’s importer, discussing other wines, when he revealed that they had stashed away a handful of cases so they could tack on more age. Without a moment’s hesitation, we inhaled the remaining trove.
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. This truly continues to be the greatest price-to-quality Hermitage we’ve ever offered.
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 punchdowns, 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!
