Cassis, cracked black pepper, smoked game, and a kiss of bacon fat all make an appearance in the 2021 Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers, a medium-bodied, elegant Crozes Hermitage that tastes more like an Hermitage. Despite the cooler nature of the vintage, this has good ripeness as well as mid-palate density. It's going to drink nicely for 10-15 years. It's probably the Crozes of the vintage.

From a western-facing granite slope and aged in a bit of new oak, the 2021 Crozes Hermitage les Varonniers features hints of maple syrup and cracked pepper accenting ripe black cherries on the nose. In the mouth, it's medium-bodied, smooth and silky, finishing elegantly, with some attractive black-tea notes. No matter how much time one spends with Michel Chapoutier, he always manages to say something surprising. As an owner of biodynamically farmed properties in the Rhône, a participant in several joint ventures, a proprietor in numerous wine regions, owner of a large négociant business and a former president of Inter Rhône (the region's trade body), he has a global perspective that's probably unmatched in the Rhône.(JC)