Jeb Dunnuck 94 points (rated 12/20/2018) - The 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert offers a rocking (and classic) bouquet of ripe black fruits intermixed with notions new saddle leather, pepper, garrigue, and hints of bacon fat. This ripe, medium to full-bodied, silky wine has remarkable purity, is already complex, and finishes with serious length. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years.<!--more-->The big news at this benchmark estate is the loss of winemaker Jacques Desvernois to Domaine Guigal. At the time of my tasting with Caroline Frey, there was no replacement, so it will be interesting to see who comes on board. They will certainly have big shoes to fill. Nevertheless, the estate has been on an incredible roll, with their sensational 2015s last year, and now two strong vintages with their 2016s and 2017s. (Drink between 2019-2034)
Vinous (Josh Raynolds) 93 points! Deep vivid ruby. Vibrant, highly perfumed black and blue fruit, floral and incense aromas pick up exotic spice and mineral flourishes with aeration. Pure, focused and energetic in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cassis and violet pastille flavors that show no rough edges. Deepens steadily on the very long, lively finish, which features resonating florality and well-knit tannins. (Drink between 2023-2031)
Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) 93 points! "The classically styled 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert boasts savory scents of black olive and leather. Medium to full-bodied, it's plummy and rich, creamy and ripe but savory and earthy, not jammy at all, with a lingering, velvety-textured finish. It drinks well now, but it should continue to evolve and drink well through 2035."
John Gilman 93 points! "The 2016 vintage of the Domaine de Thalabert from Paul Jaboulet is beautifully precise and classy, coming in at thirteen percent octane and really starting to drink with distinction at four years of age. The very expressive bouquet wafts from the glass in a complex and utterly classic blend of cassis, grilled meats, pepper, stony soil tones, black olive tapenade and a topnote of bonfires. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and focused, with a superb core of fruit, lovely soil signature, ripe, buried tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and utterly seamless finish. This wine is starting to drink very well indeed, but has the structure to also age long and gracefully. It reminds me of the 1989 Thalabert when it was young, except the 2016 is more precise and refined in its aesthetic sensibilities and is an utterly superb bottle of Crozes-Hermitage (not to mention, a veritable steal)!"
2016 Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert
2016 Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points (rated 12/20/2018) - The 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert offers a rocking (and classic) bouquet of ripe black fruits intermixed with notions new saddle leather, pepper, garrigue, and hints of bacon fat. This ripe, medium to full-bodied, silky wine has remarkable purity, is already complex, and finishes with serious length. Drink it over the coming 10-15 years.<!--more-->The big news at this benchmark estate is the loss of winemaker Jacques Desvernois to Domaine Guigal. At the time of my tasting with Caroline Frey, there was no replacement, so it will be interesting to see who comes on board. They will certainly have big shoes to fill. Nevertheless, the estate has been on an incredible roll, with their sensational 2015s last year, and now two strong vintages with their 2016s and 2017s. (Drink between 2019-2034)
Vinous (Josh Raynolds) 93 points! Deep vivid ruby. Vibrant, highly perfumed black and blue fruit, floral and incense aromas pick up exotic spice and mineral flourishes with aeration. Pure, focused and energetic in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cassis and violet pastille flavors that show no rough edges. Deepens steadily on the very long, lively finish, which features resonating florality and well-knit tannins. (Drink between 2023-2031)
Wine Advocate (Joe Czerwinski) 93 points! "The classically styled 2016 Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert boasts savory scents of black olive and leather. Medium to full-bodied, it's plummy and rich, creamy and ripe but savory and earthy, not jammy at all, with a lingering, velvety-textured finish. It drinks well now, but it should continue to evolve and drink well through 2035."
John Gilman 93 points! "The 2016 vintage of the Domaine de Thalabert from Paul Jaboulet is beautifully precise and classy, coming in at thirteen percent octane and really starting to drink with distinction at four years of age. The very expressive bouquet wafts from the glass in a complex and utterly classic blend of cassis, grilled meats, pepper, stony soil tones, black olive tapenade and a topnote of bonfires. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and focused, with a superb core of fruit, lovely soil signature, ripe, buried tannins and impeccable balance on the long, complex and utterly seamless finish. This wine is starting to drink very well indeed, but has the structure to also age long and gracefully. It reminds me of the 1989 Thalabert when it was young, except the 2016 is more precise and refined in its aesthetic sensibilities and is an utterly superb bottle of Crozes-Hermitage (not to mention, a veritable steal)!"
