Habit-Forming Northern Rhône
2014 Souhaut: Syrah & Saint Joseph Cessieux
Hervé Souhaut's Syrahs are very high on my go-to bottle list.
They offer such purity of expression that I want to return to them again and again.
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I've tried to price these as sharply as possible for one simple reason: these are habit-forming wines. They both have such a clarity and freshness that you'll find yourself quickly emptying glasses and looking forward to the next time you open a bottle.
To start with Souhaut's Syrah, it comes from the Ardeche, not far from St. Joseph. What I've always loved about this bottling is its immediacy and its classic profile of Syrah's savoriness and perfume.
The Cessieux is a more serious bottling delivering more structure, depth and precision. Cessieux is a 1.5ha plot that Souhaut's family had leased out. 2013 was the first vintage they released and it immediately became a staff favorite. The 2014 Cessieux has vivid notes of dark fruits, spice, herbs and game. It's the refined and persistent core of stony minerality that makes it really stand out.
Souhaut uses a semi-carbonic maceration - and while I'm not always a fan of this method on Syrah, the results here are wonderful. It's super-expressive of violets, olives, herbs, and jet-black minerality. The texture and just about everything is spot on.
Souhaut is a small domaine that enjoys a fair amount of celebrity. I make it a point to search out the wines in quantity, which is no easy task. They're so fascinating and delicious that I want to get them in as many hands as possible.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
2014 Souhaut: Syrah & Saint Joseph Cessieux