WTN: 2005 Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage

2005 Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage, Rhone, France
This wine was many years a kind of insider tip for wine-geeks.
Selected several times Top 10 Wine of the Year from Wine Spectator. At the moment very reserved and offers not much drinking pleasure. Always meaty character with flavors of pepper, black olive, black currant, licorice, forest floor and intermixed with smoky notes. Very inky colour. I miss the floral elements and some bacon fat aroma which is so typical for this wine. Given the fact that 2005 is such a great year, I am quite hopeful with this wine from the North-Rhone, but I would open the next bottle in 3-4 years. Certainly an adequate drinking-window would be 6-8 years from now. Perfect match with some stew dishes like OssoBuco, Daube provencal or game. For 16-17 Euro a good investment for the wine-cellar! LABEL

Martin, this vintage has just showed up here but cost is over $38 Cdn. AG has quite a reputation eh.

Oh, that´s a difference, Bob. This means he cost 25 Euro in Canada.

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the great note. I tasted this wine in September (with a braised lamb shank - fantastic!) and it was more open than what you describe with the higher toned violet floral notes also present. I agree it is dark and concentrated, more so than the 2004, but a good bet for the cellar, given the track record here. The price is now $30+ in WA state.

Regarding the thread on the 2002 Rhone vintage, I would have to say the 02 Graillot Crozes wasn't really to my liking that much.

Best,
Marc

Yes Marc, the 2005 is a great bet for the cellar! I am quite surprised that your version was more open, any special decanting?!

No, just drank the bottle over 2-3 hours with dinner.