Syrah, Rhône, France

A dense, woody and wondrously RARE zero-zero Rhône syrah MAGNUM available for the first time in Ontario! A true idol of natural wine, Dard et Ribo were part of the first generation of dedicated sans-soufre, or WITHOUT SULPHUR, winemakers in the early 90’s – and we are eternally grateful! Winemakers René-Jean Dard and François Ribo met in wine school in Beaune and have been together ever since. Today their 8.5 hectares of (uncertified) organically cared for land holds primarily syrah vines, with smaller plantings of marsanne and roussanne, mainly across the AOCs Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Hermitage. Grown at 300 metres on north-facing, granite and quartz slopes around the Bâtie des Vigues, the syrah was hand-harvested, destemmed and spent 18 days on skins. FUN FACT! While on skins the grapes saw daily pump overs and punch-downs to keep the cap submerged, introducing oxygen and pulling tannin. The wine then spent 12 months in used barrels followed by three months in tank, and comes to us as this glittering syrah gem. Black cherry tree, a spritz of Alexander McQueen’s My Queen, black pepper crunch, tart raspberries, spruce wood bound by iron, coriander seed, scorched earth & its ash. Pour alongside a group viewing of Spirited Away and subsequent party afterwards.