Domaine du Colombier Crozes-Hermitage 2010

Despite turning their family’s simple apricot farm into one of the finest sources of Syrah, Florent and David Viale’s Domaine du Colombier is still one of the most underrated estates in the Northern Rhône.

The brothers used to sell their entire production to Guigal and Ogier, but since the 1990s have made their own wines from 17ha of assiduously farmed vineyards in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage. Preferring to use old oak and larger vessels, the emphasis in the cellar is on purity and restraint.

Although the Viale’s Hermitage is powerful and classy, their Crozes-Hermitage – from parcels bordering the famous hillside – consistently excels in value. 2009, 2010, and 2011 are a brilliant trilogy, the scented and fleshy 2010 leading the pack with a touch more precision and complexity.