2021 Cave de Tain Exploration Syrah, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes

Tasting Notes

From Syrah experts Cave de Tain, whose vineyard and winemaking practices easily lend themselves to making a low sulphites wine, comes this IGP Syrah to complement their Crozes-Hermitage Sans Sulfites.

This has the intense dark berry fruit of the very ripe 2020 vintage with smooth tannins but still the edge and freshness of proper northern Rhône Syrah.

Production Method

For Cave de Tain making a 'Sans Sulfites' Syrah isn’t just an experiment or attempt to keep up with trends; it is the epitome of Tain’s philosophy. Syrah, a variety in which Cave de Tain excel, is sourced from vineyards in the hills (collines) of the northern Rhône. All growers practice reasoned (or even organic) viticulture as part of the strict sustainable practices laid down by the Vignerons en Development Durable (VDD), which Cave de Tain has followed since 2007. Vine health is paramount with practices such as 'epillonnage' (removing secondary shoots to aerate the grapes, increasing the vines restistance to humidity without the use of treatments) regularly monitored in each plot. All vineyards are within 15km of the cellar, meaning the grape harvest is delivered quickly and in prime condition, negating the need to add sulphur. In the winery (which benefitted from considerable investment in 2014) hygiene control measures are impeccable, another key factor in making a wine ‘sans sulphites’.

Producer

At the foot of the famous hill of Hermitage, the Cave de Tain co-operative produces five appellation d'origine contrôlée wines: Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, Cornas and St-Péray. Cave de Tain also owns a 21 hectare domaine within the prestigious Hermitage appellation where the head winemaker, Xavier Frouin, supervises every stage of vinification from grape sorting to bottling.

The Cave has established an enviable reputation for authentic wines that express the full character of their individual terroirs, thanks to careful and non-intrusive vinification methods. Over the years, traditional techniques have been enhanced by the latest developments in modern winemaking. Cave de Tain's new cellars were completed in late 2014; a total investment of €10m has dramatically reinvigorated winemaking facilities, increasing the Cave's ability to produce top-quality wines.

A Note on Sustainability

Cave de Tain is a dynamic and forward-thinking co-operative, proud of its sustainability programme and a certified member of Vignerons en Développement Durable since 2009. Natural means of improving vine health such as épillonnage and pheromone sprays to disrupt insect pests’ breeding patterns are employed, and they are committed to using organic viticultural practices wherever possible. This also serves to increase the biodiversity of the vineyards, further boosting vine health, reducing the need for chemical phytosanitary treatments and improving the quality of the fruit.

They work to reduce their carbon footprint by utilising natural sources of energy, e.g. by fitting farms with solar panels, by the methanisation of grape marc to generate electricity, and by grinding up and composting the vine prunings instead of burning them so as to improve the quality of the soil and to hold onto the carbon trapped within them. Currently, up to 75% of their production waste is recycled, rainwater is captured for use on the estates, and a collective “river contract” has been drawn up to prevent the pollution of the local groundwater. Water usage in the cellar has been reduced by 90% simply by re-examining all of the ways in which it is used.

Specifications