2021 Domaine Aleofane Natacha Chave Crozes-Hermitage 750 ml

To put it simply, Natacha Chave doesn't make much wine.

Between her vineyards in St. Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage, she only farms 6.5 hectares (roughly 16 acres). And with vines approaching 50 years old, situated on river alluvium in the Chassis plain that reminds us of lower vineyards of Hermitage, yields for her Crozes are not high.

On a recent trip to Lyon, we were bowled over by Natacha's lush, seductive 2021 Domaine Aléofane Crozes-Hermitage. Featuring classic Northern Rhône elements—a basket of sun-kissed blackberries, balanced by hints of pepper and violet—it's a bottle that shows exactly why Crozes-Hermitage is a hotbed for value.

Natacha's production size means she's intimately involved with each step of the process. You only need a few people to farm vineyards that small, so she knows each vine practically by name, and there are only a few rows of barrels to vinify. When it all adds up, her fingerprints are all over each glass. Her style emphasizes the richer, silkier side of Syrah, while holding onto the pepper and floral tones that define the Northern Rhône.

2021 is a vintage we really enjoy. Cooler than some recent scorching years, it really played into the hands of modern-thinking producers like Natacha, who could bring out the wine's fruit and know that the nature of the vintage would provide vibrancy and balance. When we tried it in Lyon, it was paired with a classic Cervelas de Lyon—one of the many sausages the city is famous for—but it's great with all manner of pork or beef dishes, not to mention any sort of fowl in a heartier prep.