Our Tasting Impressions
The second iteration of Crozes Blanc from Pichon is a major jump up in quality from the very good one we tasted from 2022. A combination of better grape sourcing and Corentin learning more about this wine yields a fresh, bright and lively white. It's a touch lighter than the Saint Joseph so many of you know and love - and that's not a criticism. A delight to drink on its own but so very versatile to enjoy with a meal. A beautiful addition to our Pichon portfolio.
About this Wine
Crozes-Hermitage is a recent addition to the Pichon stable. They introduced the wine with the 2022 vintage and it was very good. For 2023, they found an even better source for the grapes.
100% Marsanne grapes are purchased from a vineyard planted 25 years ago on a quarter hectare site with granite soil with lots of ancients stones and pebbles. The grapes are handpicked and pneumaticly pressed. Cold fermentation (and malolactic) is spontaneous. The wine spends 8 months in 500 liter barrels, ranging from new to 3 years old.
About the Grape
Marsanne thrives on steep, rocky slopes. It likes a dry climate as it is prone to mildew and oidium - though it does like some summer rain. It is crucial to pick the grapes just prior to ripening to maximize their limited acidity, which helps highlight their virtues - good body, richness, sweetness, fatness and an oily texture.
About the Vintage
2023 was a very good vintage. It started with a mild winter and spring and sufficient precipitation. Bud development was on a steady and typical pace. Heavy rain in May and June caused potential for mildew. The summer was hot, as is common in recent years but enough rain was falling. There were considerable hail storms in Crozes-Hermitage. A torridly hot August was mediated by cool night temperatures in September. The early, and rather abundant harvest featured grapes with good aromatics and acidity.
The Pichon family is a growing force in the Northern Rhône region. Corentin, the eldest of the six children of Isabelle and Christophe, is a young, talented, 3rd generation winemaker. But this is every bit the family business as all of his 5 siblings are involved, along with Corentin's partner and mom and dad.
Based in Chavanay, the Pichons produce wines of elegance and finesse in a variety of appellations spanning more than 20 hectares. Chemical treatment of the mostly Syrah and Viognier vineyards is kept to a bare minimum. In addition to those from their own vines, they also purchase grapes for other wines.
VDLT has been visiting the Pichons for many years and is proud to include them as a foundation of the portfolio.
