Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude 1.5L MAGNUM 2022

Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude is the estate’s tête de cuvée, a selection of the best barrels from the classic Crozes, offered here in 1.5-litre magnum.

Alain Graillot set up in Crozes-Hermitage in the mid-1980s and quickly became the appellation’s benchmark, farming the rolled-stone terraces of Pont-de-l’Isère in a deliberately traditional manner; his son Maxime now runs the estate. La Guiraude comes from no separate vineyard. It is a barrel selection, so the vinification is identical to the classic wine, and what sets it apart is that the chosen casks spend longer in wood and the wine longer in bottle before release. It is made only in years that produce lots of genuine intensity and ageing potential. The family are quick to point out that it is not automatically the better wine, only the more powerful and spicier one, built for longer cellaring, though in practice it is frequently the deeper and more layered of the pair, savoury and long in a way that recalls Hermitage in miniature.

Magnums evolve more slowly, so allow five to twenty years. Serve at 16-18°C with roast beef, braised oxtail or aged hard cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.