Domaine Ferraton - Crozes-Hermitage La Matinière 2016 (Magnum)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Ferraton is owned by Michel Chapoutier, but he wanted to keep an independent team at the helm, under the direction of Damien Brisset. The old premises in Tain have been refurbished and modernized, and a new, very convivial reception and restaurant area has just opened on the banks of the Rhône, so everything is ready for this entity to take off. The range demonstrates the company's expertise in Rhone Valley wines, with, as with Chapoutier, a parcel-based approach that extends the number of cuvées every year. Today, the house remains a benchmark more for its red wines than its whites. The 2017 reds are well mastered, between freshness and depth.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The archetypal Crozes of character and ageing potential: well-structured, tight and fresh, but with impeccable balance, you'll need to wait a few years for this determined, vigorous wine to come into its own.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

Redone "from floor to ceiling": a fitting expression to introduce the rebirth of Ferraton and its new winery, located at the négociant's historic address, acquired by Maison M. Chapoutier in 2004, in a small street in the center of Tain-l'Hermitage. In Hermitage, the company owns vines in the lower part of Les Dionnières, just below Les Murets. Some of the old vines are used to make Cuvée Les Dionnières, while the rest are used to make Cuvée Les Miaux, blended with Méal. The estate also owns two plots of land on Le Méal, whose juices are also either isolated or blended. On the Hermitage white side, we head east towards Les Beaumes, with whites made from marsanne and roussanne, often planted in clusters, which go into the cuvée Le Reverdy. Harvested at peak ripeness, the Syrahs are destemmed and aged in barrels and demi-muids: Les Dionnières with 20% new wood, and 40% for Le Méal. Aging lasts 16 to 18 months. The style of the wines, full-bodied and expressive, has so far favored the reds.

Jancis Robinson