Domaine de Thalabert, property of Paul Jaboulet Aîné since 1834, is the oldest vineyard in the Appellation. The Crozes Hermitage vineyard is the largest of all the Northern Rhône Valley Appellations and extends over 11 communes situated in the Drôme, on the left bank of the Rhône. A former farmhouse that belonged to the Gounon family, the building and its enclosure now house our first LPO biodiversity refuge, Clos Gounon.

The particularity of 2017 is its remarkable earliness, which even dethrones 2003. A budbreak at the end of March, irregular flowering, veraison before the berries had finished growing, hot and dry conditions, interspersed with life-saving storms, led to an early harvest characterized by small berries with thick and very healthy skins. Under these stressful conditions, only the best soils allow the vine to achieve the complete phenolic ripening of the grapes; provided that the viticulture has favored the deep rooting of the vine and the proper functioning of the soils. A long-term work that makes a difference.

This estate of around 40 ha is located on lower pebbly terraces that are glacial in origin. These small, round pebbles store heat during the day and release it at night, providing optimum and regular maturity. Hand-picked, sorting on the plot, in small crates. The vatting period lasts around four weeks with gentle extractions. Aged in French oak barrels (20% new). Age this wine from 8 to 20 years.