The steep, granitic slopes that are the backbone to the ancient terraced vineyards of Côte-Rôtie contain all the raw material, all the divine accidents of geology, and all the twists of historical fate needed to produce world-class wine from the Syrah grape. So when you let loose a team of generational Northern Rhône all-stars here, it’s no surprise that they would produce a pitch perfect rendition of this rare terroir. That’s exactly what happened when Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel, and Alexander Caso joined forces with Maison Nicolas Perrin to form a new label, “Domaines and Maison Les Alexandrins.” Brimming with brambly black fruit, wildflowers, and smoky, meaty, spicy savor, this is pure, swoon worthy, Northern Rhône Syrah. Luxuriously framed, but with a pleasing hint of rusticity, this is the wine equivalent of pairing an Armani tuxedo with a bolo tie. And it’s ready to walk the red carpet right now, but like all of life's finest, there’s very little available, so don’t wait to pounce.
In a contemporary mindset, 2012 seems like ages ago. Of course, in Côte-Rôtie where vigneron have been working the super steep, terraced slopes for two millenia now, 2012 is a blink of the eye, might as well be yesterday. Both feelings likely ring true for the three young men who joined forces that year and solidified their partnership with the iconic negociant Nicolas Perrin. It started with Nicolas Jaboulet, 6th generation vigneron from one of the pioneering families in the Northern Rhône, who had been overseeing Maison Nicolas Perrin since 2007. He teamed up with Guillaume Sorrel, son of Marc Sorrel of Hermitage, and Alexandre Caso, one of the world’s foremost specialists on the terroirs of the Northern Rhône. In 2015 Maison Nicolas Perrin became Domaines et Maisons Les Alexandrins, reflecting the tireless work that these three men had put into developing the range of vineyards and terroirs under the umbrella of Nicolas Perrin. Less than a decade later, this project has become one of the most respected negociants in the Rhône valley.
Given their respective backgrounds, it is no wonder that the Alexandrins team is focused primarily on their vineyards. Both the Jaboulet and Perrin families were among the earliest adopters of organic and biodynamic farming, and this philosophy plays perfectly with Nicolas, Guillaume, and Alexandre’s obsessive focus on harvesting pristing fruit that can perfectly transfer the vagaries of terroir into a brooding glass of Syrah. Their parcels in Côte-Rôtie are sourced from both the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde, combining the power and structure of the former with the elegance and ethereal perfume of the latter, much as they would have been 300 years ago when these wines first gained acclaim in Paris and abroad.
Cellar work is similarly traditional and gentle, with the goal being a wine that displays the full kaleidoscope of Côte-Rôtie within just a few years of bottling. Fermentation follows a medium term maceration of about 20 days, and then the wine is aged in a combination of one year old barriques and neutral demi-muids for 15 months before bottling. Serve this show stopping Syrah in a large Bordeaux stem, at around 60 degrees, after a good decant of an hour or more. Classic aromas of wild raspberries and blackberries, black plums, violets, white pepper, cayenne pepper, bacon fat, and lavender all lead to a suave, silky, medium-full palate with ripe tannins and a kiss of bright acidity that culminates with an iron-rich, mineral laden finish. A slow cooked leg of lamb with potatoes and herbs is a match made in heaven, and one that you could enjoy several times a year if you act fast and grab a few bottles of this Syrah masterpiece before they’re gone.
