The vineyards for Silène are hillside vineyards located in Larnage and Gervans. It is rare for Crozes to come from hillside granitic soil, as most of Crozes is situated on the alluvial valley floor. The granite soil produces a wine with more backbone and structure. The idea behind this Crozes is to balance the fruit of Syrah without compromising the tightness given by the granite. 50% of the Crozes comes from a parcel of young vines planted in 2003 and owned by Domaine Jean Louis Chave. The parcel sits on a beautiful terroir on the rear east-facing flank of the Hermitage hill. The blend continues to evolve as Jean-Louis buys more land in Crozes.
90 points, Jeb Dunuck: “Shockingly good given the difficulties in Crozes during the growing season (it rained – a lot), the 2021 Crozes-Hermitage Silene has a pretty, complex, elegant perfume of red berries, spring flowers, cedary herbs, and pepper, with some classic Northern Rhône bacon fat. Nicely textured, medium-bodied, and elegant, with good ripeness, it's a rock-solid, classic, old school-styled Crozes to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years.
