alain graillot domaine ouleb thaleb tandem 2020

this wine was born from a meeting between alain graillot, a talented winemaker in crozes hermitage, and jacques poulain, a french oenologist based at the ouled thaleb estate in the meknes region (morocco). it has benefited from a particular climate: hot in summer but very cool at night. the syrah vines are worked by hand. alain graillot succeeded in building his own wine estate in crozes hermitage in the rhône valley in 1985. today, 25 years later, alain graillot owns about 20 hectares of vines. his wines enjoy a very good reputation both in france and in the rest of the world. this very talented and "mouthy" winemaker likes to share his passion for wine in france and abroad. thus, by collaborating with jacques poulain, a bordeaux oenologist based in morocco at the ouled thaleb estate (meknes region), they have brought to the world 100% syrah wine, a grape variety of which alain graillot is an expert. all the vines are worked by hand and the dry climate makes the region suitable for organic farming. the de-stemmed grapes are subjected to a short maceration, then 60% of the maturation is done in french oak barrels. the tasting is delicious and racy: the colour is a beautiful translucent garnet. the nose is fine and complex, with red and black fruits, olive stone, pepper and violet. the palate is round, ample, full of freshness, offering a fine, silky, elegant body with great aromatic intensity. the finish, finely chewed, has even more freshness and fruit, with a nice acidic touch of raspberry and pepper that lingers for a long time.