Yann Chave Crozes-Hermitage 2009

The traditional cuvee is produced from vines grown on the three village terroirs: Mercurol, La Roche de Glun and Pont de l’Isère. There are several plots planted at different times, but the average age of vines is 20 years. The varietal is exclusively Syrah. Leaves are trimmed around the fruit for optimal exposure to sunlight, and grapes are harvested by hand. As with our white wines, we do not use industrial yeasts. Grapes are de-stemmed, and we allow the vinification temperature to warm up gradually from 20° to 30°C, which we maintain, to achieve optimal extraction. Vatting lasts 3 weeks on average, pumping over twice a day, and we always try to wet the whole surface of the cap. Ageing is in tank to preserve the fruit character, without the addition of oak