Description
Saint Joseph was originally called “Vin de Tournon”. The monks who lived in this little village used to produce wine from the vineyard at the top of the hill behind the village.
Terroir
The terroir in Saint Joseph is mainly composed of granite. The vineyard spreads out 40km along the right bank of the Rhône river. For our first vintage we wanted to make a balanced wine using grapes from the north of the appellation, which bring minerality and fruit, and ones from the historical centre of Saint Joseph that give more flesh to the wine. The blending makes wines with great distinction and extremely balanced.
The vintage
After 2010 (a very balanced vintage) and 2009 (a powerful vintage), 2011 offered plenty fruit, freshness and body. Besides a hot spring and early flowering, the summer was relatively cold and wet and the advance made was caught up. During the month of September, the sun dominated most of the time and the maturity was progressive. The crop came in continuously up until the first days of October for the plots of higher elevation and needed more time to reach perfect maturity. The crop was healthy, the grapes of good quality and the quantities were plentiful.
Location
In the north of the appellation, the villages of St Pierre de Boeuf and Chavanay.
For the historical centre of the appellation, the village of Mauves south of Tournon.
Process
The grapes are cold-macerated before being fermented to increase the aromas of fruit. Maceration and fermentation for about 20 days with pumping-over for the first few days followed by punching-down. Ageing in 1 and 2 year old barrels for 10 months to bring concentration to the wine.
Varietal
Syrah : 100%
Tasting
Intense and rich on notes of wild fruit. The mouth is complex with soft tannins. This wine is powerful and has a distinctive elegance to it. To drink straight away or in the next 3 years.
Serving
Serve at 17°C on grilled meats or small game or why not try it with Pigeon ?
Reviews
91/100
"A juicy, engaging style, with a core of energetic plum and blackberry compote flavors, studded with anise, apple wood and tobacco details."
Wine Spectator Insider, James Molesworth - 2013
90/100
"Dark and juicy with tangy wild plum and blackberry with firm acid structure; fleshy, minerally, rich aromatics, black pepper and spice; vibrant and long."
The Tasting Panel - 2013
90/100
"Ruby-red. Dark berries, cherry pit and olive on the smoke-tinged nose. Chewy and focused, offering nicely concentrated bitter cherry and cassis flavors and a touch of cracked pepper that gains intensity with air. Closes with excellent lift and cut, leaving spice cake, licorice and black tea notes behind."
International Wine Cellar - 2014
90/100
"This joint venture between Nicolas Jaboulet and the Perrin Family continues to source high quality wines from the northern Rhône. This Saint-Joseph is a spicy, plummy wine, somewhat chunky on the palate while remaining reasonably light afoot and finishing with soft tannins."
Wine Enthusiast - 2014