Cave de Tain - Crozes Hermitage Les Hauts du Fief 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The winery now has a vat room large enough to vinify its grapes and produce its large number of vintages. It is on a par with the best producers in the region. In Hermitage, the pride of the members who can count on the vineyards bequeathed by the founder Gambert de Loche, the Epsilon cuvée is impressive. With a limited production (1,500 bottles produced), it is a great wine that every discerning wine lover should have in their cellar.

Decanter

About wine:

Cola and clove, followed by an extremely full, 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 become impressive. The finish is long, with robust but 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 vines, produces around 50% of the appellations of the northern Rhône Valley. It also owns 26 hectares of its own, including 21 hectares in Hermitage. A sure bet in the region, in 2014 it acquired brand new production facilities, enabling it to increase its selection of plots.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

The largest cooperative winery in the northern Rhône, Cave de Tain is a must-see for tourists visiting the region, if only because it has a large parking lot at the foot of Hermitage hill, offering a panoramic view of the slope. The wines cover almost all of the region's appellations, with the exception of Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie, in a range of quality levels and styles. Collectively, the members farm just under 30 hectares of Hermitage, making it the second largest landowner in this appellation. The entry-level wines are often pleasant and well-made, offering good value for money, while some of the top-end cuvées are ripe and oaky, perhaps offering too much of both for some consumers.

Wine Enthusiast

Jancis Robinson

About wine:

The nose is rich and inviting, with aromas of leather and cherry brandy. The palate has good acidity and fairly firm tannins. The finish is a little short with a woody note that dominates slightly at this stage.

Vinous

About wine:

The Crozes-Hermitage Les Hauts du Fief 2022 comes from 40-year-old vines grown in different parts of the appellation. Deep purple in color, it exudes ripe aromas of black cherry and blackberry, as well as notes of forest floor, clove, vanilla, and gravel. [...] The concentration of flavors and the maturity of the fruit are evident. It shows great persistence on a savory finish.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Notes of red and black fruits, leather, burnt earth, spices, and graphite, worthy of a Hermitage, emerge from the Crozes-Hermitage Les Hauts Du Fief 2022, a beautifully textured, structured, and complex wine with ripe but well-constructed tannins and a lovely finish.