Alain Graillot became a bit of a sensation in the northern Rhone valley in the early 1990s, when he left good paying work at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy to return home to his home in the northern Rhone, and began making Syrah with the sort of elegance and lift that no one had really smelled or tasted before. Graillot has been an exciting name to see ever since, even after Alain retired and left the domaine to his sons Maxime and Antoine. Nothing was lost in the changeover, and in 2022, the brothers hit a home run. This Crozes-Hermitage gives a kaleidoscope of aromas: cinnamon, allspice, and blackberry; a touch of orange peel, pepper cured bacon and olive tapenade, with a bit of clay earth. The palate is full bodied with close cropped tannins. The flavors are meaty, with olive notes, blackberry sauce and black cherry, Earthy through the finish, orange oil lingers. At a cool 12% abv, this wine is far sturdier than most that come with that sort of low number, it's a pleasantly surprising bonus.