Xavier Vignon : Crozes-Hermitage 2025

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Crozes-Hermitage 2025 by Xavier Vignon

Tasting

Appearance

This Crozes-Hermitage shows a dense, brilliant purple-red colour, characteristic of a still youthful Syrah.

Nose

The nose opens generously with notes of red and black fruits such as wild strawberry, cherry and blackcurrant, accompanied by floral touches of violet. Hints of liquorice, green pepper and a note of toastiness complete this rich, complex bouquet.

Palate

The palate is captivating, balancing freshness and structure, carried by silky tannins. Flavours of blackcurrant and spice unfold with impressive length, confirming the elegance and fruit-driven appeal already evident in this young vintage.

Food and wine pairings

This wine is an ideal match for charcuterie and terrines, as well as slow-cooked meats such as coq au vin or roast leg of lamb. It also pairs very well with a pan-fried medley of wild mushrooms or a soft cheese such as Saint-Marcellin.

Serving and cellaring

The Crozes-Hermitage 2025 is best served at a temperature between 14 and 15°C. It can be enjoyed now, while having cellaring potential through to around 2035.

A Crozes-Hermitage That Is Both Generous and True to Its Northern Terroir

The estate

Founded in 2002 by Xavier Vignon, the Xavier Vins house is still run today by its founder, an oenologist by training who worked in Champagne before settling in the Rhône Valley. Based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a boutique in Beaumes-de-Venise, the estate farms around thirty hectares in the Dentelles de Montmirail. Renowned as a master blender and consultant to many estates in the southern Rhône, Xavier Vignon also crafts cuvées from northern terroirs such as Crozes-Hermitage, in his "Les originels" range.

The vineyard

The Crozes-Hermitage 2025 comes from a selection of parcels on varied soils, combining rolled pebbles, clays, limestone and gravel, with a few loess and granite slopes in the north of the appellation. This geological diversity gives the vineyard a richness that is directly reflected in the character of the wine.

The vintage

The 2025 vintage stands out for its successful balance between fruit ripeness and natural freshness, the result of climatic conditions that favoured good phenolic ripeness while preserving the vibrancy of the grapes.

Winemaking and ageing

The winemaking of the Crozes-Hermitage 2025 combines partial destemming with whole-cluster vinification for around 20% of the harvest. Fermentations take place traditionally in temperature-controlled stainless steel and concrete tanks. Ageing continues mainly in tank for 4 to 6 months to preserve the freshness of the fruit, while a portion of the wine is aged in barrels to refine the tannic structure.

Grape variety

100% Syrah