Les Varonniers
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 15 years from the vintage.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted lamb with rosemary, grilled ribeye steak, wild game stew
✨ Technical Specifications
M. Chapoutier's 'Les Varonniers' is a benchmark Crozes-Hermitage that challenges the traditional hierarchy of the Northern Rhone. Sourced from exceptionally old Syrah vines, some exceeding 60 years of age, planted on a steep, south-facing granite slope at the western edge of the Hermitage hill, this cuvee shares the prestigious geological DNA of its grander neighbor. The name 'Les Varonniers' refers to the specific lieu-dit where these low-yielding vines dig deep into the decomposed granite soils. To preserve the purity of this exceptional terroir, Chapoutier employs traditional, low-intervention vinification, fermenting in concrete vats before aging the wine in oak casks for up to 18 months. The result is a deeply concentrated, complex Syrah that marries dark berry fruit, cracked black pepper, and smoky granite minerality with a velvety, structured palate.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1808 in Tain-l'Hermitage in the Rhône Valley, M. Chapoutier has grown into one of France's most celebrated wine houses, propelled to international acclaim following Michel Chapoutier's visionary leadership in 1990. A pioneer in biodynamic viticulture and minimal-intervention winemaking, the estate is revered for its single-vineyard 'sélections parcellaires' that articulate the purest nuances of individual terroirs across the Rhône and beyond. Iconic for incorporating Braille script on every label since 1996, Chapoutier produces benchmark expressions of Syrah, Marsanne, and Grenache across prestigious appellations including Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
🍇 Grape Varieties
100% Syrah
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5% - 14.5