2018 Crozes Hermitage Les Trois Chenes
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Opaque magenta. Displays aromas of spice- and smoke-tinged dark berries and candied flowers, which take on a suggestion of olive as the wine opens up. Smooth and open-knit, offering pliant blackberry and bitter cherry flavors and a spicy touch of cracked pepper. Finishes sweet, gently tannic and long, with discreet tannins and repeating smokiness.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The remarkable thing about Darnaud's 2018 Crozes Hermitage Les Trois Chênes is how unforced it feels, showing great amplitude and length while at the same time remaining silky and elegant. Hints of violets and blueberries emerge on the nose of this full-bodied effort. Expansive and enveloping yet effortless, it should drink well for a decade or so.
Looking first at the 2018 Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Chênes, this can be thought of as the entry-level release from this great estate and comes from a mix of different terroirs as well as young and old vines. Its deep purple hue is followed by a meaty, spicy, complex Crozes that delivers serious intensity in its black and blue fruits as well as its floral and mineral-laced aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, it's a wine that gains richness and depth with time in the glass, offering ripe tannins and remarkable purity of fruit. It's ideal for enjoying over the coming 10-12 years.
100% Syrah. Aged for 16 months in oak. Cask sample. Tasted blind. Raspberry syrup, black pepper, a few gratings of bitter dark chocolate on the finish. Dry and savoury with refreshing, moreish juiciness on the finish. (RH)