La Guiraude is a tête de cuvée, a barrel selection made only in vintages where it is felt there are some barrels that exhibit particularly intense and age-worthy personalities. Not necessarily a ‘better’ wine than the Domaine Crozes, it is typically more powerful and in need of longer cellaring.
The 2017 Guiraude is certainly a much deeper, more velvety and structured wine than the regular Crozes. It comes from a knockout vintage chez Graillot, and is a beautifully fragrant, fleshy Guiraude with oodles of blackcurrant, confit cherry, tapenade and subtle hints of bramble and cacao in the background. There is serious depth and plenty of fine tannins, yet it’s already seductive, offering significant drinking pleasure and complexity now. Of course, there is also plenty of stuffing and the tannins to ensure age-worthiness. As always, lovers of the Northern Rhône should be quick. Josh Raynolds' note sums it up best for us.