Winemaker Notes
The St-Joseph Les Royes is a profound and complex wine with sweet black cherry-raspberry fruit, notes of minerals and smoke, and ripe tannins that give it remarkable structure.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aging in approximately 30% new oak, the 2016 Saint Joseph Les Royes comes from a limestone-based terroir. It’s plummy and supple, with cedar and vanilla highlights.
Range: 91-94 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The single vineyard 2016 Saint Joseph Les Royes is terrific, and a solid step up over the straight Saint Joseph. Blackberries, peppery herbs, smoked meats, and ample minerality all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, concentrated, impeccably balanced beauty. It has the purity and seamlessness that’s the hallmark of the 2016 vintage front and center.
Range: 91-93 -
Decanter
The grapes for this wine come from a rare outcrop of chalky soils in the southern part of the appellation. It has a bright, pure expression of classic St-Joseph, with dark berry fruit. It's very well balanced with good acidity and ripe tannin - a pure, polished and glossy style that's well executed. 25% new oak. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/rhone/domaine-courbis-st-joseph-les-royes-rhone-france-2016-16017#2essg55rk7Q5jQyA.99
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Spanning the longest stretch of river in the northern Rhône—from Condrieu in the north, to Cornas in the south—the heart of St.-Joseph lies directly across the Rhône River from Hermitage. While its soils are basically the same as Hermitage: granite, supplemented by sand and gravel, its east facing slope receives less sunlight than Hermitage, which causes less overall berry ripening on its Syrah vines. However, some of the best of them can rival any fine expression of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie or Cornas with concentrated black fruits, dark spices, crushed rock and violets. A general advantage of the region is that its Syrahs typically don’t need as much time in the bottle compared to a Cote-Rotie or Hermitage and are much easier on the bank account!
A textbook St.-Joseph red is firm with a core of minerality that is enhanced by savory and peppery qualities. Aromas and flavors of smoke, olives, herbs, and violets are common; its wines are dense in red and black fruit.
St.-Joseph is also a source of fine northern Rhône white wine. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne grow well here and can be blended or made into single varietal wines. St.-Joseph whites are full and silky with citrus, pear and pineapple flavors and a rich bouquet reminiscent of honeysuckle, toasted nuts, spice and caramel.