Jean Baptiste Souillard - Crozes Hermitage Les Baties 2023
Located in the northern Rhône Valley, Jean Baptiste Souillard has established himself as a signature of micro-cuvées with a precise and refined style. He works with Syrah in an almost Burgundian spirit, favoring finesse of touch, purity of fruit, and transparency of the terroir. The vines are cultivated with great care, respecting the soils and ripeness. The deliberately low yields allow for concentrated juices without heaviness. Each cuvée is conceived as the expression of a place rather than a simple appellation. Les Baties is one of the most telling examples.
Crozes Hermitage Les Baties 2023 comes from a plot planted on soils mixing rolled pebbles, sands, and clays, which bring both structure and freshness to the Syrah. The 2023 vintage, bright yet balanced, offers complete phenolic maturity while maintaining beautiful tension. The harvest is entirely manual, with a significant portion of whole clusters to enhance the floral and spicy character. Fermentations proceed slowly, using only indigenous yeasts, and very gentle extractions to preserve the infused spirit of the wine. Aging is done in barrels and demi-muids of several wines, on fine lees, to refine the tannins without marking the wine with wood. Les Baties 2023 thus presents itself as a slender and precise reading of Crozes Hermitage.
On the palate, the nose reveals a subtle bouquet of violet, fresh black fruits, crunchy raspberry, and black pepper, complemented by a slight smoky touch and notes of graphite. On the palate, the attack is juicy and straight, with a fine texture supported by very elegant and perfectly integrated tannins. The mid-palate blends blackberry, blackcurrant, small red berries, spices, and a hint of black olive in the background. The finish is long, fresh, slightly saline, marked by spices and dried herbs, with great digestibility. At the table, Les Baties 2023 ideally accompanies roasted poultry, a pink rack of lamb, grilled veal chop, refined bistro cuisine, or structured vegetarian dishes based on mushrooms and roasted vegetables.
Grape varieties: 100% Syrah
