Cave de Tain - Crozes Hermitage Les Hauts du Fief 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The winery now has a vinification facility large enough to process the grapes it receives and produce its wide range of wines. It stands on equal footing with the region’s finest producers. In Hermitage—the pride of the members, who can rely on the vineyards bequeathed by founder Gambert de Loche—the Epsilon cuvée is truly impressive. With a limited production run (1,500 bottles), it is a great wine that every discerning wine lover should have in their cellar.

Decanter

About the wine:

Cola and clove, followed by an extremely full-bodied, silky, rich, and opulent texture. The alcohol is well-balanced, as is the acidity. Given the weight and depth of the fruit, this wine should develop into something impressive. The finish is long, with robust yet ripe tannins.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Founded in 1933 by Louis Gambert de Loche, the high-quality Tain-l'Hermitage cooperative winery has 310 members and, with more than 1,000 hectares of vineyards, produces approximately 50% of the wines from the Northern Rhône Valley on its own. It also owns 26 hectares of its own vineyards, including 21 hectares in Hermitage. A trusted name in the region, the winery acquired brand-new production facilities in 2014, enabling it to expand its range of single-vineyard wines.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

As the largest cooperative winery in the northern Rhône, the Cave de Tain is a must-see for tourists visiting the region, if only because it has a large parking lot located at the foot of Hermitage Hill, offering a panoramic view all the way down to the hillside. The wines cover nearly all of the region’s appellations—with the exception of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie—across a range of quality levels and styles. Collectively, the members cultivate just under 30 hectares of Hermitage, making the cooperative the second-largest landowner in that appellation. The entry-level wines are often pleasant and well-made, offering good value for the price, while some of the top-tier cuvées are ripe and oaky—perhaps even offering too much of both for some consumers.

Wine Enthusiast

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

The nose is rich and inviting, with aromas of leather and kirsch. On the palate, it has good acidity and fairly firm tannins. The finish is a bit short, with a woody note that dominates somewhat at this stage.

Vinous

About the wine:

The 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Les Hauts du Fief is made from 40-year-old vines grown in various parts of the appellation. Deep purple in color, it exudes ripe aromas of black cherry and blackberry, along with notes of forest floor, clove, vanilla, and gravel. [...] The wine offers concentrated flavors and ripe fruit. It displays great length on a savory finish.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

With notes of red and black fruits, leather, scorched earth, spices, and graphite—worthy of an Hermitage—the 2022 Crozes-Hermitage Les Hauts Du Fief is a beautifully textured, structured, and complex wine, featuring ripe yet well-integrated tannins and a lovely finish.