This wine is deep ruby in colour with purple hues. On the expressive nose are aromas of blackcurrant and cassis, with typical peppery notes and a delicate hint of mint. Full-bodied and powerful, the palate has a core of rich bramble fruit with hints of spice and wild herbs, smooth, ripe tannins and a persistent finish.

The Syrah grapes are sourced from three parcels across Crozes-Hermitage: Mercurol towards the north of the appellation and La Roche de Glun and Pont d’Isere in the south. The average age of the vines is over 25 years, which lends additional depth and concentration to the finished blend. Further complexity comes from the variation in soils across the parcels: richness and power from the pebbles and red clay in the south and finesse from the stony terraces around Mercurol.

Nicole and Bernard Chave founded their estate in the centre of Crozes-Hermitage with four hectares of vines and fruit trees in the 1970s. Over the years they gradually grew the estate, which now extends to 20 hectares of vines across Crozes-Hermitage and includes 1.5 hectares of Crozes-Hermitage Blanc and 1.2 hectares of Hermitage. Their son Yann joined them in 1996, aged 26 years old, and formally took over management of the domaine five years later.