Barruol Lynch 'Tiercerolles' Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2024

Crozes-Hermitage surrounds the famous hill of Hermitage on three sides, and the quality gap between the flat alluvial floor and the granite hillside parcels is dramatic. Most Crozes is made from the former; this one from the latter, drawing on four named hillside lieux-dits (Besset, Batits, Habrard, and Mercurol) planted in decomposed granite 30 to 50 years ago. Louis Barruol, 14 generations of winemaking in Gigondas, selects these parcels specifically because they produce a Syrah with the smoke, black fruit, graphite, and structural grip more commonly associated with Hermitage.

Quick Facts

• Region: Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, France
• Variety: 100% Syrah (Sérine clone)
• Style: Dry, full-bodied red; structured and aromatic, with dark fruit, smoke, and mineral grip
• Best For: Hermitage admirers on a budget, Syrah enthusiasts, dinner parties with roasted meats, Northern Rhône discoveries
• ABV: ~13.5%
• Winemaker: Louis Barruol (in collaboration with Kermit Lynch)

Why We Love It

Whole-cluster fermentation, older barrels, no filtration, and granite hillside sourcing across four named sites: every decision Barruol makes here points toward Northern Rhône Syrah at its most honest and complete. At this price, the Tiercerolles is one of the more compelling arguments for Crozes-Hermitage as a serious category and not a step-down from Hermitage. A bottle that rewards being opened with the right food.

Featured at our Rhône Valley Wine Atelier, May 2026.

Tasting Profile

Deep and chewy, with Northern Rhône character throughout: smoke and graphite alongside concentrated dark fruit, and a long, savory mineral finish.

• Aroma: Black cherry, blueberry, smoke, graphite, violet, cracked pepper, cured meat
• Palate (Flavor): Dark plum, blackberry, bitter chocolate, licorice, earthy mineral depth
• Structure & Finish (Mouthfeel): Full body, firm and chewy tannins, brisk acidity, long finish with graphite and mineral persistence

Winemaking

Barruol sources exclusively from four hillside lieux-dits across the appellation: Besset, Batits, Habrard, and Mercurol. Grapes are not destemmed before fermentation, a whole-cluster approach that contributes the wine's characteristic spice note and structural firmness alongside the dark fruit core. Fermentation takes place in cement tanks; the wine then ages 15 months in older barrels, one to two years old, adding textural integration without imparting new wood flavoring to the finished wine. The wine is not filtered before bottling, preserving the fruit concentration and mineral character from the vineyard.

Serving & Pairing

Serve at 62-66°F; the wine benefits from 20 minutes of air before pouring.

Pairs best with grilled or roasted meats: lamb chops, duck confit, venison, and smoked pork. The firm tannin structure and savory character require protein and fat to reach their full expression.

Perfect For: weeknight red wine lovers who want more, Northern Rhône discoveries, Hermitage admirers on a budget, dinner parties with roasted meats, restaurant-caliber home cooking, gift for a Syrah enthusiast

Estate Overview

Louis Barruol is the 14th generation of his family to make wine in the Southern Rhône, based at Saint-Cosme in Gigondas, where the cellars are built on the remains of a Roman villa. His collaboration with importer Kermit Lynch produced the Tiercerolles as a joint-venture cuvée for the northern Rhône: Barruol selects and vinifies the fruit using his signature terroir-first approach; Lynch provides the distribution. Barruol applies the same discipline to Crozes that he brings to Gigondas: sourcing exclusively from granite hillside parcels, eschewing new oak, and bottling without filtration. The Tiercerolles travels through the Kermit Lynch portfolio, one of the handful of importer relationships that consistently places serious Northern Rhône Syrah in front of American buyers at honest pricing. We bring forward the Barruol Lynch because it makes the strongest case, bottle for bottle, for what Crozes-Hermitage is actually capable of.

Terroir (Place)

The Crozes-Hermitage appellation covers a large area around the hill of Hermitage, and quality within the appellation tracks closely with topography: the flat alluvial soils of the valley floor produce higher-yielding, softer wines, while the granite hillside parcels produce concentrated, structured Syrah with greater aromatic complexity. Barruol's four sourcing sites sit on decomposed granite with sandy topsoil, where vines self-regulate yield and root into fractured rock for water and minerals. The continental climate of the northern Rhône, with warm days and cool nights during ripening, preserves the aromatic freshness and acidity that give the wine its characteristic pepper and mineral profile. The hillside sites at Habrard and Besset are considered among the finest terroirs in the appellation, capable of producing wines that approach the density and persistence of Hermitage.

91 pts Wine & Spirits