Domaine Andrée's l'Envolée turned what we thought about the Grolleau grape on its head.

Crush has been open for fifteen years, and we've worked with less than a handful of Grolleau wines over that time. They were lovely, quaffing wines, but nothing that we'd highlight with an offer.

That changes today with Andrée's l'Envolée. Before tasting it, we couldn't have imagined the grape reaching this level of seriousness and fascination. We’re happy to offer the 2016 l'Envolée for $32.95 per bottle and $29.95 in 4-packs.

In a region with many new winemaking talents, Andrée's Stéphane Erissé is a clear standout. In 2008, Erissé left his career as a builder and set out to make wine. His first stop was an apprenticeship with Antoine Foucault at Domaine du Collier, who, in turn, learned from his father at Clos Rougeard.

After studying under Foucault for three years, Erissé went out on his own, purchasing 3ha of vines in Saint-Georges-sur-Layon. The majority of the vineyards are planted with Grolleau, an indigenous varietal that is used mostly for rosé production.

More often than not, Grolleau produces simple, uninteresting wines due to its tendency towards high yields, but Erissé is rewriting this narrative. l'Envolée is Erissé’s homage to Grolleau. His aim was to prove that Grolleau is capable of producing complex, ageable wines.

The name l'Envolée, which means "flight" or "soaring," is fitting. The wine is lively and aromatic, bursting with dark fruits, cherries, and herbs. The area's schistous soil contributes a stern mineral backbone to the wine.

I encourage you to try a bottle at the very least. Beyond simply setting a new and very high benchmark for the Grolleau grape, this is simply a lot of fun to drink and think about.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

Domaine Andrée l'Envolée

Special Bottle Price: $32.95

Special 4-Pack Price: $119.80 ($29.95/btl)