Graillot had very small yields in 1995 (10-25% less production than in 1994), extremely ripe fruit, and wines with surprisingly high acidity. In fact, Alain Graillot claims he has never seen such ripe grapes with such high acidity, a characteristic I noticed in a number of 1995 Rhone Valley wines. For whatever reason, the 1995 Hermitage was less impressive than the other offerings, with less color than the St.-Joseph or Crozes-Hermitage. It revealed smoky, bacon fat aromas in the nose, and sweet, ripe fruit on the palate, but the wine's high acidity only seemed to exaggerate its angular, tough-textured, tannic finish. I am sure there is more to it, but it was extremely hard to penetrate and evaluate when I tasted it in mid-June.
Alain Graillot has been the spiritual and qualitative leader of the new generation of young wine producers largely centered in the less prestigious appellations of St.-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. It is hard to believe Graillot's excellent debut vintage was 1985. He consistently produces some of the finest, most reasonably priced wines of the northern Rhone. His best two vintages to date are 1989 and 1990 (truly profound wines were produced here and elsewhere in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage). Graillot's 1994s are very fine, and his 1995s appear to be equally promising, perhaps superior.
Importer: A Christopher Cannan Selection, Europvin USA, Watertown, MA; tel. (617) 924-7620
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