Description
Region: Rhone, France
Producer: Domaine Baptiste Hillaire
Vintage: 2023
Grape: 90% Grenache ; 10% Syrah
Type: Red Wine
Size: 75CL
Note:
Ruby-crimson center with garnet tones toward the rim. The nose is inviting and warm, with spiced black plums, blackberries, dried roses, roasted game, and wild herbs. Cracked pepper leads the secondary aromas, alongside cola and a pinch of pipe tobacco. The palate is full and shows a good degree of complexity. Beautiful now, but built to age for another decade as well.
Food Pairing:
Food-friendly wine to pair with braised pork, well-marbled ribeye steak, poultry stews, and their curried or tandoori variations; but the delicacy of its aromas and finish also lends itself to more creative pairings with paella, Tapas. For cheeses, it appreciates the delicate flavor of Chaource, the fruitiness of Comté, or the robust flavors of Époisses.
Asian cuisine: Stir-fry vegges, Steamed Chicken, Roast / grilled pork, Char Siu.
More about:
In 2004, winemaker Olivier Hillaire had just carried Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Domaine des Relagnes to the peak of its power, earning the estate some of its highest scores ever. But in 2006, the owner decided to sell—and with some of the area’s finest old vines suddenly on the market, Hillaire didn’t hesitate.
He knew the Relagnes property better than anyone, and snagged its best plots. Creeping up on two decades later, the Grenache and Syrah from those vines shine in his son Baptiste’s La Part des Anges—a deep, intense, ageworthy testament to the Hillaire name’s esteemed status in the Southern Rhône.
Rhône expert Jeb Dunnuck calls himself a big fan of the Hillaire estate’s “ripe, sexy, lusty Grenache driven wines,” and La Part des Anges more than lives up to that description. Driven by 80% Grenache from 60-year-old vines, it comes out swinging, offering a nose overflowing with bold black fruits and dried roses, accented by secondary tones of cola, pipe tobacco, and cracked pepper.
Upon tasting it from barrel, Dunnuck called it “a complex, beautifully balanced, impressive wine.” When he returned to it a year later, he dubbed it “incredibly delicious.”
Baptiste has made wine alongside his father for years, gaining an intimate understanding of their land. With his personal label, he proves that he’s inherited the winemaking prowess that’s enthralled critics for years.
Hillaire’s eight hectares of vineyards sit on Châteauneuf’s famous galet roulés, which retain heat from the afternoon sun and release it overnight, letting the grapes ripen slowly to perfection. The wine rested in stainless-steel vats, preserving its fresh-fruit character, and today it’s a wonderfully balanced bottle that will continue developing beautifully for at least another decade.
Hillaire’s eight hectares of vineyards sit on Châteauneuf’s famous galet roulés, which retain heat from the afternoon sun and release it overnight, letting the grapes ripen slowly to perfection. The wine rested in stainless-steel vats, preserving its fresh-fruit character, and today it’s a wonderfully balanced bottle that will continue developing beautifully for at least another decade.