Dear *|FNAME|*,

The 2021 Sicamor from Crozes-Hermitage is our new favourite red wine for summer. From Northern Rhône heavyweight Michel Chapoutier, this 100% Syrah is biodynamically farmed and blends granitic and alluvial sites from the family’s holdings around Hermitage Hill. It’s an impressive, delicately fragrant Crozes, and a veritable return to the classics like 2014.

Only 12.5% alcohol, but nicely concentrated; this wine boasts pure red and black fruit, black spices, garrigue, notes of olives and violets, and stony, smooth tannins. ‘The style of 2021 is light, lean and fresh, with high acidity, low alcohol and strict tannin,’ explains Decanter. If you like the lightness of foot of Sons of Sugarland or Minimalist Wines, give the Sicamor a try.

Fully destemmed, the Syrah grapes ferment in concrete for 10 days and then stay on skins for 4-5 weeks. The wine is aged in older oak demi-muids (600-litre barrels) for 12 months and spends another 6 months in concrete.

‘It’s hard to overstate the importance of the historic Maison Chapoutier in the Northern Rhône valley and, to a great extent, in the south,’ wrote Josh Raynolds of Vinous. Michel Chapoutier, Auguste Clape and Jean-Paul Jamet have all been instrumental in moving the Northern Rhône from subsistence farming towards becoming one of the greatest wine regions in the world.

See all of their Rhône wines here.

Reply to this email or visit our website to place your order online.

Tasting notes

Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Sicamor 2021

‘An ample and well-rounded Crozes-Hermitage with notes of dark cherries, mixed berries, dried herbs, smoke and black pepper. Medium body with great volume and control. Crisp and bright. Very low alcohol at 12.5% yet it has character and poise. It has some inky character on the palate and a succulent finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.’ – James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, 93/100

‘The 2021 Crozes Hermitage Sicamor comes from a mix of terroirs (Varonniers and the lower plain) and is rock-solid in the vintage, and possibly an outstanding wine in the making. Cassis, black raspberries, smoked game, pepper, and violets all make for a textbook northern Rhône Syrah that's medium-bodied, has good balance, notable purity, and outstanding length.’ – Jeb Dunnuck, 91/100

‘Deep black hue with crimson tints. Concentrated nose with notes of spice (black pepper, cloves) and black fruit gums. Notes of blackberries and graphite. The attack is broad and meaty, the tannins velvety. The palate is deep yet still nice and light. On the finish, the ripe black fruit notes intermingle with those of cedar, concentrated juice and tapenade.’ – Winemaker

What's new?