Jean-Baptiste Souillard Crozes-Hermitage 'Tenay' 2020

Jean-Baptiste Souillard Crozes-Hermitage Tenay comes from a steep, young plot three kilometres north-west of the village of Crozes-Hermitage, originally destined for the blend.

Souillard first earmarked Tenay as a blending component, but the quality of the fruit persuaded him to bottle it separately, and it has stayed a single-site wine since. The vineyard faces south-east at 200 metres and is genuinely steep, with a complex soil profile taking in granite, alluvium, loess and gneiss — an unusual combination even in an appellation as varied as Crozes. The vines are gobelet-pruned on wooden stakes and farmed under lutte raisonnée. Although the plantings are young, the mix of soils and Souillard’s attention in the vineyard give the wine more layers than its vine age would suggest. Fermentation carries a large proportion of whole bunches and the wine is aged twelve to fifteen months in older oak barrels, so there is no new-wood signature over the fruit.

Drinking now, better with two or three years and sound for eight. Serve at 16-18°C with grilled lamb, peppered beef or roast eggplant.

*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.