Exceptional Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine Belle
Domaine Belle is located in the village of Larnage, just to the north of the famous winemaking cooperative of Tain l’Hermitage, which the original Louis Belle helped to found in 1933. Today, the third generation, Philippe, is at the helm, and his son Guillaume is in the process of learning the ropes. Today, they own 25 hectares covering six communes and three appellations in the Northern Rhône. We added this fantastic family-run estate to our Direct Import portfolio five years ago, and they have quickly become a fan favorite for their deep, soulful wines.
Larnage sits on a special terroir known as Kaolin, which is a type of clay-limestone soil that is rare in the Northern Rhône. Most of the main soils of the Northern Rhône are based on granite, schist, and alluvium. Belle has vines in different parts of Crozes-Hermitage and on the hill of Hermitage as well. This gives them a wider range of profiles in their grapes to build a layered, depth of flavor in their blends. But it is Kaolin, this special calcareous soil, that helps build the acidity and tension in many of the wines of Domaine Belle.
The whites of Domaine Belle are some of the best in the region. The 2021 Domaine Belle "Les Terres Blanches" Crozes-Hermitage Blanc $29.99 90JD is a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne planted on Kaolin. Though it is lush and filled with gorgeous orchard fruit flavors, it has a nice mineral vibe and tension that helps build its frame. The balance of a small amount of new wood in the aging process lends a creamy finish to this wine. For those not that familiar with whites of the Northern Rhône, this is a quintessential wine to start with.
The 2021 Domaine Belle "Roche Blanche" Crozes-Hermitage Blanc $39.99 91JD is a bold expression of pure Marsanne all from Kaolin soils. Showing more tropical nuances of pineapple and mango, it is made in a beautifully fresh style. The 2021 vintage was a little lighter for wines in this vintage, but it serves the Belle whites well, giving them more vibrant fruit aromas and brighter acidity.
We received only a a tiny amount of the 2021 Domaine Belle Hermitage Blanc $74.99 93+JD. The grapes for this wine were sourced from the hill of Hermitage in the lieux-dits of Peleas, Maison Blanche, and Diognières. A blend of nearly equal parts Marsanne and Roussanne, in many vintages it is made in a powerful style needing many years to resolve. Fortunately for those of us who are impatient to drink it, the 2021 is fresh and opens quite quickly—ready to drink now. It is loaded with a nose of fresh-cut flowers, peaches, and honey. Beautiful intensity on the nose and a refined elegance on the palate. Great for now with a little aeration but should evolve for many years to come.
Consistently one of the most impressive wines in its category, the 2020 Domaine Belle “Cuvée Louis Belle” Crozes-Hermitage $34.99 94JD does not disappoint. The 2020 vintage is a superb one, and this is probably the most impressive Cuvée Louis Belle since the 2015. Also planted on Kaolin, the wine shows weight and intensity but with defined edges. Flavors of boysenberry, ripe cherry, vanilla, and cigar tobacco dance across the delightful and sumptuous palate. What a divine crossing of rich fruit on the palate followed through with seamless structure. The Louis Belle continues to evolve for hours as it breathes making it great in the short term. This should also continue to develop beautifully for many years to come.
Of the Crozes offerings, the 2020 Domaine Belle "Roche Pierre" Crozes-Hermitage $49.99 95JD is the biggest outlier. From a parcel planted to granite, it has a more rugged texture and sauvage nature about it. Filled with notes of currant jam, graphite, and leather this is a bigger meatier style that encapsulates Syrah grown on granitic slopes. This competes easily with the best from nearby St-Joseph!
Always risisng to the top, the 2020 Domaine Belle Hermitage $99.99 95JD is another tremendous success. From the lieux-dits of Murets and Diognières, it is a wine that shows its aspect. Flavors of crème de cassis, Chambord, cocoa, and fresh leather, it is a powerful rendition showing the weight of the vintage. The tannins are quite fine, but this is still a wine that begs for a few years in the cellar. What a wine!