Region of production: Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph
Winery Location: Mercurol
Year Established: 1996

Vineyard Holdings

6.48 ha

Crozes-Hermitage: 15 ha total

  • Les Pends: Marsanne and Roussanne, planted 1995; soil is alluvial stones and limestone
  • Les Chenes Verts: 2 ha Syrah, planted in 1946; soil is alluvial stones and clay-lime
  • Terrasse de Chassis: Syrah; soil is alluvial stones and red clay
  • Monico: 1.2 ha Syrah, planted in 1946; soil is alluvial stones and deeper clay

Saint-Joseph

  • Saint-Joseph: 0.5 ha Syrah, planted in 1966; soil is granite

Top Wines Produced

  • Crozes-Hermitage Rouge “Papillon”: produced from younger vines, mostly Terrasse de Chassis. Inaugural vintage 2000.
  • Crozes-Hermitage Rouge “Albéric Bouvet”: a selection from the older vines of the estate
  • Crozes-Hermitage Rouge “1920”: only made in select vintages, only from the 1946 plantings in Les Chenes Verts and Monico
  • Saint-Joseph “André Péalat”

Average Total Production

  • N/A

Summary

Gilles Robin began domaine-bottling in 1996, though the estate was founded by his great-grandfather in 1920, and his father and grandfather were members of the Cave de Tain co-operative. Gilles has expanded the domaine from 10 to 15 hectares since taking over, planting vineyards in the southern part of the Crozes-Hermitage appellation on the Chassis plain. A Syrah fanatic, Gilles produces only a small amount of white from his half hectare of Marsanne and Roussanne.


Style & Vinification Techniques

The Robin wines are modern, clean, fruity expressions of Syrah grown on the Crozes plain. All grapes are hand-harvested. The Crozes-Hermitage “Papillon” is 100% de-stemmed and fermented as well as aged in stainless steel only, with some micro-oxygenation; it is bottled in May the year after harvest. The grapes for “Albéric Bouvet” and “1920” are partially de-stemmed, depending on vintage, and the maceration lasts up to 30 days, with both pigeage and remontage daily. Aging is in barriques (about 20% new), and bottling is done with no filtration.

Producer Website: Gilles Robin