Winemaker Notes
This is wonderful, real-deal, old-school Saint-Joseph here. It offers a fresh, graphite mouthfeel and a light, peppery nose, with hints of olive and tapenade as it goes down.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Shimmering ruby. Aromas of dark berries, licorice and candied flowers, along with a building olive paste nuance. Supple and round on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. Harmonious tannins add shape to a long, smoke-tinged finish that strongly echoes the cherry and spice notes.
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Wine Spectator
Solid and direct, with cherry and plum preserve notes that are open and expressive, with light alder and licorice shadings on the finish. Features a sanguine echo at the very end. Drink now through 2029. 150 cases imported.
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.