Domaine les Alexandrins St Joseph Domaine Les Alexandrins St Joseph Macro

Domaine Les Alexandrins - Saint-Joseph - 2018

Terroir

4 hectares, weathered granite. "Galets roulés".
Vineyards located in the municipality of Tournon-sur-Rhône.
Average age of the vines: 25 years.
South/south-east exposure.

The vintage

In 2018, we were lucky to have another very good vintage in the Northern Rhône Valley. A generous and qualitative crop despite major climatic hazards that required the greatest attention.

There was an early start to the vegetative cycle with a particularly rainy spring, especially in May and June, causing suspicions of mildew, which, fortunately did not take place. Then the summer was scorching hot with drought and risks hailstorms. These tense and extreme conditions required increased monitoring, responsiveness and constant vigilance in the vineyard.

The harvest then began under bright sunshine on August 31st with our first harvest on the Brézèyme appellation and ended on September 25th with the red St Joseph. For each area, the sessions were quite short, with a very strict selection of the bunches, in order to harvest at optimum maturity while maintaining freshness and liveliness. We have worked daily, tasting the berries, differentiating the age of the vines, the grape varieties, the terroirs to personalise each snip of secateurs and only select the best.

Thus, the 2018 wines are ample, voluptuous and generous, with great liveliness and freshness.

Process

Manual harvest.
Traditional vinification.
Destemming 100%.
Maceration 3 days cold.
Two pumpover and two punch down / day.
Fermentation 20 days.
Ageing in 1 and 2-years-old barrels for 15 months.

Varietal

Syrah : 100%

Tasting

Seductive deep black colour, with beautiful shiny reflections. All in finesse, the nose reveals subtle aromas of black pepper and wild berries. The palate is rich and opulent with powerful tannins, perfectly balanced by superb freshness provided by the minerality of the granite terroir. A full bodied and very elegant Saint Joseph which is still in its youth and needs to be kept for a few years.

Serving

Tasting temperature 16 to 18°C.


Reviews


93/100
"I also loved the 2018 Saint Joseph, another concentrated, layered, complex wine that does everything right. Loads of blackcurrants, blackberry, chocolate, spice, and barbecue smoke-like notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully seamless Saint Joseph with ripe tannins and outstanding balance. It's going to evolve for 10-15 years given its quality of fruit and overall balance."
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16,5/20
"Extravagant red fruit with wonderful definition and juiciness on the nose: cranberry, redcurrant, brambles. Lovely sweet spice on the palate and smooth, succulent refreshment on the finish."
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91-93/100
"Coming from 4 hectares of decomposed granite soils, the 2018 Saint Joseph reveals a deep purple/ruby hue as well as notes of ripe raspberries, blueberries, toasted spice, and peppery herbs. It's juicy, lively, medium-bodied, and beautifully balanced, with the polished, supple style of the vintage front and center."
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