Alain Graillot
The Winemaker's ItchA cycling getaway about five years ago led one of the finest and most respected Syrah winemakers in the world through the Zenata region of Morocco. Alain Graillot spotted a vineyard on a bluff overlooking a deep valley and pegged it immediately it as one of those “vortex” places that he just knew felt right. He knocked on a door, introduced himself, and within two years was the winemaker in charge of Domaine Ouleb Thaleb, a tiny estate between Casablanca and Rabat.
Graillot didn’t have to take on a project like this. His estate in Crozes Hermitage is considered by many to be the best in the appellation. His wines are among the most sought after in the Syrah world and he has no problems selling out. Seems to me he was on cruise control, and a bicycle trip to Morocco was the perfect thing to do be doing.
Winemakers get itchy. I got a sense of this a few years ago when we visited Peter Fischer (a Provence winemaker) and he introduced us to a project that he had begun in the Priorat region of Spain. He wasn't exactly bored with his estate in France, he just wondered what was next. Same with Graillot. I’ve come to understand this about the best winemakers in the world—they’re never satisfied, and they are always thinking about what’s around the next corner.
In Graillot’s case it’s about understanding Syrah. His Rhone Syrahs are all about structure, nuance, and longevity. His Moroccan Syrahs are about ripeness, generosity, and fruit power. We first tasted Alain’s wine as a sort-of afterthought to a mega tasting in the south of France last winter. It was a dreary day, the wines were running together and our palates were tired. Graillot’s new bottling of “Syrocco” stood out like a beacon of freshness and delight. Becky and I looked at each other and knew we had struck gold. We were immediately refreshed—by a RED wine no less!
Zenata is a dry coastal region near the Atlantic coast. As you might expect, it’s HOT. But very cool nights and a relatively pest-free existence allows vineyards here to produce truly world class grapes and Syrocco’s are no exception. I realize that none of us has any reference point for Moroccan wine. Some might openly wonder “how good can it be?”...Well I’ll tell you—it’s GOOD.
Sometimes I hanker for a knockout, fruit powerful, plummy, rich bottle of wine. This one’s it. Sometimes I really crave a bottle that is just dark and chewy and rich. This one’s it. Sometimes I actually like to get away from high acid, lighter bodied wines. This one is definitely it. I looked back on my notes from our tasting that day and read this:
“Aromas of dark plums, figs, and dried apricots. Gorgeous purple color with concentrated edges. Velvety and rich in the mouth. Soft and low acid but a remarkable breadth of fruit and complexity. Could we actually sell this?”
Well, here’s where we try.
We've just received our first allocation of Alain Graillot’s “Syrocco” 2007, a mere 50 cases of world class wine. It is 100% pure, dry-farmed, organically grown Syrah from a thoroughly unlikely place—Morocco. (No, this is not an April Fools joke three months late). Selling price is $19/bottle, six-packs are at $17.50/bottle, and solid cases are at $16/bottle. I wouldn’t fool around on this one—just grab a solid case and drink it over the coming months. If you happen to forget about a bottle or two in the cellar, that would be just fine too.
You can order yours here.
As usual, we will be sensitive to temperatures when shipping your wine, if they are too high we will hold your order for shipping in cooler temperatures to ensure safe arrival. If you need it, like yesterday, you can always upgrade to express.