Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Light chicken-stock aromas on the nose, it's meaty but fresh and fragrant. Light- to medium-bodied, very pure and drinkable. Exceptional finesse, light in tannin, but it has structure. Surprisingly long finish. Not as powerful as most Saint-Josephs, I would drink a glass of this on its own, or with lightly-flavoured dishes.
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Wine Spectator
This offers up a refined mix of bitter plum, loganberry and black cherry compote flavors infused with violet, black tea and mesquite hints and carried to a fine-grained, mineral-edged finish. Lovely. Drink now through 2028. 600 cases made, 75 cases imported.
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Wine & Spirits
Christine Vernay’s St-Joseph comes from 3.5 acres of organically farmed vines on the steep granite slopes of Chavanay. The 2018 is seductively floral and herbal, with scents of rosewater, mint and pink peppercorns that invigorate the purple-plum fruit, keeping it bright and angular, firm and snappy. The flavors deepen and broaden with air, as they will with cellar time, but you could drink this now, with grilled mackerel or a lean cut of beef.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Another outstanding wine, the 2018 Saint Joseph Terres D'Encre has a smoky, mineral-laced style carrying lots of blackberry and mulberry fruits, notes of ground pepper, gunflint, and smoke, medium-bodied richness, and polished tannins. This is a classic, mineral-driven Saint Joseph to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years, if not longer.
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.