Not many people can rock out in Crozes-Hermitage. It’s a big, varied appellation with a lot of average vines. In 1985, Alain Graillot found a tasty little plot of land and set to work on making a Crozes that tasted a lot more like its famous older brother, Hermitage, than its peers. (Judging by the fact that he’s now arguably the most allocated and sought-after producer in the region, it seems like he can check that goal off his list!) We buy this every year because it combines the gravelly, earthy density of more serious Syrah with Crozes’ signature flowers and silk.