The Superb Wines of Domaine Alain Graillot

While working on the upcoming Pressoir dinner featuring the wines of Domaine Alain Graillot, I felt inspired to write a few lines about these great wines. This is one of my favorite producers when it comes to everyday wine, simply delicious and affordable. In fact, I still can’t believe how accessible this wine is and for me that makes it a true gem. If you attended La Tablée, you may have tasted the wines and hopefully met the new generation running the winery, represented by Maxime and Antoine Graillot. Their father, Alain, was the man who founded the domaine, back in 1985, and brought the humble appellation of Crozes Hermitage to new heights. After training with Burgundy legends such as Jacques Seysses of Domaine Dujac and Patrick Bize in Savigny-les-Beaune, Alain came back to his native Northern Rhône wine region and started crafting Syrah of incredible elegance. While many wines in the area are still seen as rustic and too often ordinary, Domaine Graillot, whose use of whole cluster fermentation is a signature (time spent at Dujac definitely paid off…) embody great finesse.

Alain passed away in 2022 at the age of 77. His two sons, Maxime and Antoine, mentioned earlier, took over and have clearly proved that the style of the domaine would remain the same.

Following organic farming and no chemicals from the field to the bottle, these wines are made very clean, they are very balanced and pair easily with many dishes on the table. To me, that is a no brainer for the holidays and if you can find magnums, don’t hesitate.

Beginning with the 2008 vintage, Alain’s son Maxime took on the role of running his well-respected father’s domaine in addition to his own (Domaine Equis). The red wines that Maxime produces under his father’s label maintain a traditional appeal of using stems and whole-cluster to add structure and longevity. 

Of the different cuvées made by Graillot, the "La Guiraude" cuvée is not a specific terroir, but a selection of the year's best lots, chosen after each barrel is tasted. it usually offers great concentration and density.

The Saint-Joseph is made the same way as the Crozes, but from destemmed grapes. The Hermitage grapes are also destemmed, and then fermented in a small, shallow vat with pigeage by foot.