Winemaker Notes
Very deep garnet red. On the nose notes of black fruit jam, smoked and mineral overtones. The palate is smoky and peppered aromas. Tight tannins with a long persistency in mouth. Pair with roast duck breast, aromatic gravy and heirloom vegetables.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Broad and intense, showing blackberries, dark plums, wild herbs and stones as well as smoke and exotic spices. It’s medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Though big for the appellation, this St. Joseph has a velvety center-palate that brings balance, complemented by plenty of texture, dense berry character, hints of chocolate and a serious lift of spices before the long, focused and vibrant finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from 2027.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe red and black fruits, spice, roasted meats, graphite, and gamey, bouquet garni-like notes all shine in the 2022 Saint Joseph Les Granits, another expressive, ripe, textured red in the vintage that does everything right. Brought up in 15% new demi-muids, drink this outstanding Saint Joseph over the coming 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2040.
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Wine Spectator
Powerful, weighty and stylish, with a pleasingly chewy texture to the dense core of winey plum and steeped cherry, detailed with smoked bacon fat, peppercorn, singed anise and garrigue. Polished with a kiss of smoked alder, the depth is driven by graphite shavings and fine-grained tannins that maintain a firm grip. This will benefit from time in bottle. Drink now through 2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Matured 50% in barrels (30% in large barrels and 20% in 1,200-liter foudres), the 2022 Saint-Joseph Les Granits exudes an austere, reduced bouquet of violet, lilac, chocolate and iris mingled with abundant spicy notes. Medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated with a structured, assertive tannic frame, it's solid and rich with bitterness in the finish enhanced by peppery notes. More charming than Crozes-Ermitage Les Varonniers, this is a rather somber Saint-Joseph.
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.