Importer's Notes

Louis Barruol vinifies several of the finest parcels the appellation has to offer, and the result is exactly what a Crozes should be—a gateway wine, serious but a bit more approachable than its bigger sibling, the grand old Hermitage. This juicy, blueberry-and-leather-infused Syrah with a long finish is ready to drink tonight.

About the Wine

“Tiercerolles” is an old French word for a barrel. 

About the Winery

Over forty years of doing business in France and Italy have given Kermit Lynch a level of expertise that few in the wine industry can boast. Countless hours with growers in some of the most famous vineyards and cellars of Europe have offered more than just a casual look at what it takes to be a great grower, let alone a great winemaker. Kermit Lynch was the first to champion the benefits of unfined and unfiltered wines, long before they had become fashionable. This belief is really a matter of taste, and the proof has always been in the glass, offering a purer expression of fruit and an unadulterated reflection of the terroir. Kermit’s conviction has been so strong over the years that he has been able to persuade even the most hard-headed vignerons to test his theories.

Louis Barruol is an indefatigable force in the Rhône, the 14th generation in his family to be making wine in Gigondas. On what was once the site of a Roman villa, Louis’ cellars show spectacular remains of Roman vinification vats carved into the limestone. Here, Louis works with different grape varietals from the Rhône, vinifying each parcel separately. He’s taken to acting as a micro-négociant, working with top growers in the region who still work with Sérine. Producing only a few precious barrels of each cuvée, Louis is helping to save the authenticity and identity of old Côte Rôtie parcels. Together, he and Kermit blend our Northern Rhône wines and a Southern Côtes du Rhône Blanc and Rouge from a selection of Louis’ purchases.

Together, he and Kermit blend our northern Rhône wines from a selection of Louis’ purchased fruit. Louis selects the best parcels he can find based on his intimate knowledge of the region’s terroirs, and upon bringing the grapes in his cellar gives them the traditional treatment of spontaneous fermentation without destemming, aging in barrel, and bottling without filtration. Once a year, Kermit shows up and either chooses to have a cuvée bottled unfiltered, or he blends to find the assemblage that satisfies his aesthetic criteria.

Grape Varietal: Syrah