Northern Rhône Syrah From Barruol/Lynch
by Anthony Lynch
Born over fifteen years ago out of Louis Barruol’s and Kermit’s shared passion for old-school northern Rhône Syrah, the Barruol/Lynch project has sought to pay homage to the region’s legendary vignerons such as Marius Gentaz, Robert Jasmin, and Raymond Trollat. Louis sources fruit from top sites across several appellations and vinifies it whole-cluster, parcel by parcel, bottling the blends we create with him unfiltered.
The cool 2021 northern Rhône vintage was especially fitting for the wines of Barruol/Lynch, as it echoed conditions more common in decades past, when the above-named greats were in their prime. For fellow lovers of cool-climate Syrah, who chase after lower alcohol, floral aromatics, and silky tannins, this is the year to stock your cellar with these wines expressing a finesse that is hard to come by in warmer vintages. Stocking up on a mixed case of the three appellations below is a surefire way to treat yourself now and for years to come.
2021 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
France | Northern Rhône
Great Syrah nose that leaps from the glass: blackberry, juicy blueberries, a hint of pepper. Inky and mouth-filling, with a chewy tannin you can really sink your teeth into. The perfect burger wine to drink over the next five years.
2021 Côte-Rôtie “Les Roses”
France | Northern Rhône
Restrained in comparison with the more flamboyant Crozes, but on another level of refinement. It speaks softly, yet it has so much to say: lilies, bacon fat, spices...it could only be Côte Rôtie. Delicate and perfumed, it is ready now. Simple preparations of quality ingredients will highlight all the detailed nuances of this fine Syrah.
2021 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
France | Northern Rhône
Returning home from a particularly brutal and bloody crusade (even by medieval standards)—over a minor religious squabble and against his own countrymen, no less—a young knight took refuge in a chapel on the top of the hill of Hermitage, far from the village and ruckus below. In an effort to break from the past, the knight planted vines, made wine, and always offered some to religious pilgrims making their way over the hill. Word of the hermit and his wine soon spread, attracting followers who helped expand the operation, and the rest is history. The rocky Pierrelle parcel, also at the top of Hermitage, is a small, lesser-known terroir that offers a wine of great elegance and restraint.