Domaine Mucyn Crozes-Hermitage 2020

Hélène and Jean-Pierre Mucyn aren’t dynastic Rhône royalty; they moved here from Champagne two decades ago, driven by an obsession with these granite slopes. That outsider’s perspective brings a certain clarity to their winemaking. In the 2020 “Les Entrecoeurs”—a name that refers to the “lateral shoots” pruned by hand to concentrate the vine’s energy—you can taste that meticulousness.

This isn’t a Syrah that tries to bowl you over with oak or sheer extraction. Instead, it’s all about lifted violets, dark cherry, and black pepper. It is, quite simply, an honest bottle of Syrah that punch far above its weight. If you’re looking for a wine that captures the vibrancy and grit of the Rhône without the Hermitage tax, this is exactly where you want to be.