The 2020 Crozes Hermitage Clos des Grives looks extremely promising from barrel, with wonderful violet and raspberry shadings underscored by deeper, darker notes of black cherries and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it's rich and velvety in the mouth with a long, vibrant finish. It's another fine Syrah that should drink well on release yet be capable of aging at least 6-8 years. The team at Combier were sorting Syrah from their famous Clos des Grives when I arrived mid-afternoon on September 22. Laurent Combier's first vintage was in 1990—prior to that, the family had more land in apricot trees than grapevines and used to sell the grapes to Jaboulet. Laurent's youngest son, David, showed me around the winery and poured samples of the latest wines. The estate now totals about 60 hectares, he said, with 45 hectares planted to vines and just five hectares left in apricots. The Crozes offerings here (at least the reds) come in four different bottlings. The Laurent Combier is from the youngest vines and includes some purchased fruit. Then there's the "domaine" bottling; the Cap Nord, from the northern sector of the appellation; and the Clos des Grives, what David referred to as the family's grand cru. The domaine is certified organic. "This year was a lot of work during the season," said David. "But at the end, it's good for the body and the mind." Joe Czerwinski voor The Wine Advocate 92-94 punten Published: Jan 20, 2022