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Domaine Fayolle, Hermitage Rouge “Les Dionnières”

Northern Rhône Valley, France 2017 (750mL)
Regular price$60.00
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Domaine Fayolle, Hermitage Rouge “Les Dionnières”

Whenever a scant supply of Fayolle crosses the Atlantic, we buy it with the mindset that tomorrow is not guaranteed. To us, it’s a coveted, hard-to-find commodity that provides insight into one of the most fabled Syrah terroirs on planet earth. Sourced entirely from a father-son team’s 0.8-hectare plot, “Les Dionnières” explodes with the brooding magic of Hermitage at a wildly affordable price, one we consider to be the region’s finest when considering its caliber and pedigree. As we learned from previous offers, this wine sells out lightning quick, is made in ridiculously small quantities, and is universally beloved by critics—just take a peek at Parker, Robinson, Dunnuck, whoever you subscribe to!


If you still haven’t experienced a bottle of Hermitage, especially one of this spectacular value, you’re missing out on one of the world’s most fundamental wines. This towering granite hillside is renowned for producing deep, timeless, and stunningly expressive Syrah that ages alongside the best. Fayolle’s 2017 is no exception: It is built to exponentially reward the longer you wait, entering its prime around 2023 and blossoming for decades if stored properly (there’s a reason some of my all-time favorite wines are mature Hermitage)! Only 150 cases were originally produced, most stays in Europe, and we already sold through the first small shipment that landed 12 months ago. If you don’t want to do the math, I’ll just go ahead and tell you: This resupply isn’t even close to meeting the demand. Take advantage of it while you can!


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 Fayolle 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 French oak for 15 months. After a light filtering, the wine is bottled. Out of the tiny production, most stayed in France; half was sold off to Guigal; and the rest was squeezed out of their importer so we could offer it to you.


Fayolle works vine real estate that neighboring producers charge hundreds for, so what you’re getting in a bottle of their spellbinding Hermitage is simply unrivaled for the price. In the glass, the wine pours a deep purple-black with vibrant ruby hues and reveals a mesmerizing aromatic makeup: After a 1-2-hour decant, classic notes of brambleberry, cassis, ripe black cherry, huckleberry, and black raspberry compote explode out with crushed-rock shrapnel, followed lockstep by a savory fusion of scrub, smoked meat, dried herbs, cloves, exotic spice, and olive tapenade. The palate is full, dense, and serious, showcasing powerful, fine-grained tannins that are moderated by bright acidity and a juicy core of dark, brambly fruit. It’s a thundering red that brilliantly delivers Hermitage’s brooding minerality and Syrah’s mythical, savory profile. Although it can certainly be enjoyed now, this 2017 won’t be parading its full spectrum of flavors for another 2-3 years and also won’t be reaching its sky-high peak for another 10-15. Do your best to hold onto a couple of bottles, but also feel free to pull the cork on one for a beautiful sneak preview of what’s to come. Cheers!

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France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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