Around the new year we had two tastings on 2015 Saint-Joseph wines. This first part was on the “smaller names” whereas the pt. 2 would have the Bigger Names.
Although I had understood that 2015 was a pretty warm and sunny vintage in Northern Rhône, I had tasted earlier a few quite lovely wines from that vintage, so I know it was not going to be just jammy, gloopy stuff.
Fortunately I was right. Well, at least for the most part. Although more or less all the wines were quite ripe, most of them were also quite fresh and well-proportioned for the ripeness - although a few of them were also quite heavy, jammy and ponderous.
Stylistically the wines we tasted were pretty much all over the board, ranging from overdone and heavily oaked to very fresh and vibrant; from light and supple to tough and dead-serious, more reminiscent of the stern wines of Cornas rather than St. Joseph.
As we awarded points (10 participants, three points to distribute however they wish) to the wines after we had tasted them, here is the final ranking of the wines, including the total amount of points awarded to the wines (and my personal rating in parentheses). As you can see, my personal preferences didn’t always line up with those of the group:
1 - 2015 Mathilde et Yves Gangloff St. Joseph, 7 pts. (89)
2 - 2015 Domaine Georges Vernay St. Joseph La Dame Brune, 5 pts. (93)
3 - 2015 Alain Voge St. Joseph Les Côtes, 4 pts. (93)
4 - 2015 Stéphane Ogier St. Joseph Le Passage, 3 pts. (92)
4 - 2015 Domaine Coursodon St. Joseph La Sensonne, 3 pts. (81)
5 - 2015 Ferraton Père & Fils St. Joseph Lieu-Dit. 2 pts. (88)
6 - 2015 Alléno & Chapoutier St. Joseph La Couronne de Chabot, 1 pt.(91)
6 - 2015 Pierre Jean Villa St. Joseph Preface, 1 pt. (91)
6 - 2015 André Perret St. Joseph Les Grisières, 1 pt. (90)
6 - 2015 Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Sainte-Epine, 1 pt. (86)
6 - 2015 Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) St. Joseph, 1 pt. (84)
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2015 Alléno & Chapoutier St. Joseph La Couronne de Chabot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
The grand vin of the Yannick Alléno - Michel Chapoutier project, made with Syrah sourced from Chabot, a late-ripening region north of Tournon-sur-Rhône. Aged in oak barrels for 16 months. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Clear and luminous yet still almost fully opaque, inky blackish-red color. The nose feels quite brooding with aromas of fresh dark berries and ripe blackberries, some spicy notes of crushed peppercorns, a little bit of savory wood spice, light smoky nuances and a mineral hint of sun-baked rocks. The wine feels dry, quite firm and still rather velvety on the palate with a medium body and pretty intense flavors of game and blood, gravelly mineral tones, some brambly notes of blackberries, light crunchy notes of crowberries and redcurrants, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of ripe red plum. The overall feel is quite sinewy and structured with the high acidity and rather ripe medium-plus tannins that feel pretty silky at first, but quite quickly turn moderately grippy. The finish is dry, quite grippy and ripe yet still savory with a rather long aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some fresh, brambly notes of blackberries and raspberries, a little bit of earth, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of black pepper.
A sophisticated, harmonious and enjoyably savory Saint Joe that feels rather ripe, yet never comes across as one bit too soft or sweetly-fruited. Chapoutier might be known for their rather polished and oaky Syrah wines, but even if this wine isn't too big on persona and distinctive character, it isn't a gloopy, anonymous wine, either. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and harmonious effort that is pretty lovely already now, but shows good potential for future development. And who knows, maybe this wine might be much more complex and characterful when it is twice as old as it is now? Priced according to its quality at 34€. In our tasting the wine received only one point from the ten participants, making it finish on shared sixth (ie. last) place.
(91 points) -
2015 Domaine Coursodon St. Joseph La Sensonne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
Made with Syrah sourced from several parcels in St. Joseph. The fully destemmed grapes are cold-soaked for a long time before spontaneous fermentation in open-top fermentors. The wine is fermented and macerated with the skins for 18 days, after which the wine is pressed into oak barrels (100% new). Aged for 15 months in oak, then bottled. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Somewhat translucent black cherry color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels somewhat evolved and vaguely Bordeaux-like with sunny aromas of wizened blackberres, some tobacco, light woody notes of cedar and pencil shavings, a little bit of old leather, a hint of sweet raisiny fruit, an autumnal touch of damp leaves and a whiff of cassis. The wine feels juicy, broad and relatively fat on the palate with a rather full body and surprisingly sweet-toned flavors of strawberries and soft dark plums, some pruney dark fruits, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light blueberry tones, a hint of sweet, toasty oak and a touch of tobacco. The medium acidity doesn't lend much freshness to the wine, so the structure relies mostly on the moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is juicy, long and moderately grippy with a bold, sweet-toned aftertaste of strawberries, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of extracted woody bitterness and a sweet, chocolatey touch of mocha oak.
Ugh, a noticeably ripe, jammy and quite clumsy effort for a Saint Joseph. Several people in the tasting found the wine impressively big with great "Bordeaux-like complexity", but for me the wine was just excessively ripe with rather obfuscating oak tones and too low in acidity. I guess the people who liked big wines confused that "Bordeaux-like complexity" with premature development, since this wine seemed surprisingly evolved and tertiary for its age; virtually all the other wines were still very youthful and brimming with youthful fruit, whereas this wine seemed pretty tired, awkward and raisiny to me. Oh well, different strokes for different folks - apparently some people like this kind of jammy, heavily oaked wine made in a very "Shiraz" style, but I didn't feel this had anything to do with Saint-Joseph. I doubt this wine was more balanced in its youth and I have a hunch it won't get any better from here with further aging, seeing how aged and tertiary it is starting to feel already now, at just 7 years of age. At 81€ this wine felt ridiculously overpriced for its quality. In our tasting the wine received three points from the ten participants, making it finish on shared fourth place.
(81 points) -
2015 Ferraton Père & Fils St. Joseph Lieu-Dit - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
100% Syrah from the steep Saint-Joseph vineyard in Tournon-sur-Rhône that gives the appellation its name. The destemmed grapes are fermented spontaneously and macerated for 4 weeks in concrete vats. Aged for 12-14 months in oak barrels (10% new). 14,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Luminous, very slightly translucent and quite dark ruby-red color with youthful blueish highlights. The nose feels fragrant, clean and quite solar with sweetly-fruited aromas of ripe dark forest fruits, some brambly notes of black raspberries, a little bit of graphite or soot, light nuances of tobacco and a hint of sunny blackberry. The wine is silky smooth, rather ripe and moderately full-bodied on the palate with rich yet somewhat robust flavors of juicy dark berries, some gamey tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light ferrous notes of blood, a sweet hint of dark plums and a savory touch of meaty umami. The wine is high in acidity with quite ample and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is bold, moderately grippy and somewhat warm with a long aftertaste of powerful blackberry-driven fruit, some ripe plummy tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light spicy notes of crushed peppercorns, a hint of blood and a touch of tobacco.
A rather big and ripe Syrah with lots of substance and impact. The wine is quite structured, thus nicely in balance, and the emphasis is on pure, well-delineated Syrah fruit, making the wine feel vibrant and expressive. However, the overall impression is still a bit too lush, ripe and sweetly-fruited for my taste with a bit too much alcohol heat. It feels like this might be a very lovely wine in cooler vintages, but in a warm vintage like 2015 lieu-dit Saint Joseph seems a bit too warm a place for making harmonious wines. Maybe the wine might drop some of its baby fat and sweet-toned fruit with age? At least the overall feel is still very youthful, packed with structure and bold fruit, promising volumes on the aging potential. However, I must say that at 65€ the wine feels simply too expensive for the quality. In our tasting the wine received two points from the ten participants, making it finish on fifth place.
(88 points) -
2015 Mathilde et Yves Gangloff St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
100% Syrah from a vineyard planted in 1995 in the Peyraud commune in the northern part of Saint-Joseph, near the Condrieu appellation. Part of the wine - ranging from 30% to 80%, depending on the vintage - is vinified in whole bunches. Fermented and aged for 12 months in 300-liter casks (20-25% new, 75-80% 2nd to 4th use). Bottled unfined with a light filtration and a small dose (30-40 mg/l) of SO2. 13% alcohol. Total production 2500-4000 bottles. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Quite deep and only slightly opaque blackish-red color. Slightly evolved and quite complex on the palate with layered aromas of tobacco something smoky, some developed savory nuances of meat stew, a little bit of balsamic lift, light floral notes of violets, sweet hints of ripe cherries and wizened dark berries, a sweet touch of cedary oak spice and a funky whiff of barnyardy brett. The wine is dry, firm and sinewy yet quite silky on the palate with a medium body and rather ripe, sweetly-fruited flavors of juicy blackberries and sweet black cherries, some dank herby notes, a little bit of savory meaty character, light plummy nuances, a hint of strawberry and a faint touch of toasty oak spice. Although pretty high in acidity, the overall feel is quite gentle and mellow with the ripe, velvety tannins that contribute only a little bit to the texture, not really to the structure. The finish is juicy, layered and quite lengthy with a somewhat sweet-toned, mellow aftertaste of strawberries and succulent blackberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of savory meaty character, light balsamic nuances, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of savory wood.
A harmonious and tasty Syrah that came across as thoroughly enjoyable but ultimately rather mellow, soft and easy compared to many other St. Joes that packed more firmness and intensity compared to this bottle. Many attendees found this wine very lovely with its combination of pretty high acidity and layered flavors, but for me the wine felt a bit too sweet-toned, ripe and friendly in a slightly polished crowdpleaser kind of way. I did enjoy the fresh acidity, modest alcohol and sense of complexity in this wine, but I was still surprised how this wine turned out to be so popular in the end - I thought many other St. Joes we tasted were much more impressive and interesting in comparison. Well, I guess the easy-drinking nature and accessible overall style were here the keys to success - but I still must say that I found the wine quite overpriced for the quality at whopping 92€. In our tasting the wine received seven points from the ten participants, making it finish on first place.
(89 points) -
2015 Stéphane Ogier St. Joseph Le Passage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
Made with fruit sourced from the communes of Limony, Malleval and Saint-Pierre de Boeuf. The average vineyard age is 30 years. Aged for 12 months in oak casks (10% new). 13,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Deep, luminous and intensely-colored black ruby color. The nose feels youthful, focused and quite savory with intense aromas of fresh blackberries and crushed peppercorns, some gamey tones, a little bit of crisp, smoky bacon, light dusty notes of sun-baked earth, a hint of olive and a subtly lactic touch of blueberry yogurt. The wine feels ripe, dense and well-delineated on the palate with a full body and quite intense, varietally correct flavors of juicy blackberries and boysenberries, some floral notes of violets, a little bit of fresh cherry, light bilberry tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of olive. The wine does pack quite a bit of structure and some extraction with its high acidity and quite grippy and assertive tannins, yet the wine doesn't come across as tough or overdone, but instead very harmonious and pretty darn serious. The finish is dry, clean and fruity with moderately grippy tannins and a long aftertaste of juicy blackberries, some perfumed notes of violets, a little bit of sweet boysenberry, light stony mineral notes, hints of blood and game and a touch of peppery spice.
A very robust, powerful and focused Saint Joseph that is very true to the variety. The wine does pack some ripeness, but it really doesn't translate into big, sweet fruit or softness; even if the wine is brimming with juicy fruit flavors, the overall feel is dry and savory and with its high acidity and firm tannins, nobody in their right mind would say this is a soft wine. Even though not young anymore at 7 years of age, the wine is still super youthful, not showing any signs of age yet - on the contrary, I detected a tiny bit of lactic MLF character that bothered me a bit. The wine is thoroughly impressive and enjoyable now, but I'm sure it will be so much better at 15 years of age. Superb value at 27€. In our tasting the wine received three points from the ten participants, making it finish on shared fourth place.
(92 points) -
2015 André Perret St. Joseph Les Grisières - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
This wine is a notch above the regular Perret Saint Joseph, made with fully destemmed older-vine fruit (average vineyard age 40 years) from vineyards in Chavanay, a commune in the northern parts of Saint Joseph near Condrieu. Fermented and macerated with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 15-20 days. Aged for 18 months in 225-liter barriques and 400-liter demi-muids (20% new). 14% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Very deep and almost fully opaque blackish-red color. The brooding nose feels moderately meaty and somewhat reticent with quite little in the way of fruit, emphasizing more the aromas of tobacco and game, some savory woody tones, a little bit of allspice, light leathery nuances, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of dark plummy fruit. The wine is clean, harmonious and quite sophisticated on the palate with a medium body and slightly restrained flavors of bilberries, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of tobacco, light brambly blackberry tones, a hint of old leather and a touch of peppery spice. The structure relies mostly on the high acidity, whereas the quite ample yet very ripe and silky tannins contribute more to the suave texture. The finish is rich, juicy and gently grippy with a long aftertaste of bilberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of old leather, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of tobacco and a touch of earth.
A very nice, harmonious and attractive Saint Joseph that felt very elegant but maybe a bit understated when pitted against ten other St. Joes. However, as I've always said - fruit is overrated! Even if this wasn't the flashiest of wines, I enjoyed this wine much more compared to the some of the more expressive wines that came across as rather sweet, fruity and soft in nature - I prefer my St. Joseph wines dry, savory and crunchy. I didn't even detect any distracting new oak tones or bothersome alcohol heat, which was nice. It is definitely possible that the wine was just in an awkward phase now and will open up more with additional bottle age - at least the wine seemed to be in a fit shape now with good promise for future development. Nice stuff, priced somewhat according to its quality at 40€. In our tasting the wine received only one point from the ten participants, making it finish on shared sixth (ie. last) place.
(90 points) -
2015 Pierre Jean Villa St. Joseph Preface - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
Made with fully destemmed fruit sourced from different vineyards around St. Joseph, ranging from 30 yo to 90 yo. Fermented and macerated with the skins for three weeks. Aged for 14 months in old barriques and 500-liter demi-muids. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Deep and dark, almost fully opaque dark ruby-red color. The nose feels dark-toned, somewhat sweetly-fruited and slightly evolved with aromas of boysenberries, some developed savory nuances of meat stew, a little bit of game, light floral notes of violets, a hint of bilberry and a sweetish touch of dried dark fruits. The wine is balanced, silky and slightly evolved on the palate with a rather full body flavors of savory dark fruits and meaty umami, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of crunchy cranberry, light sweeter notes of strawberries, a hint of blueberry and a developed touch of balsamic richness. The overall feel is enjoyably firm and textural with good, quite high acidity and silky yet still sufficiently grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, ripe and moderately grippy with a long and somewhat solar aftertaste that still feels more savory and umami-driven rather than sweet-toned, leaving nuances of meat consommé, wizened dark fruits, some blueberries, a little bit of wild strawberry, light earthy notes and a hint of balsamic VA.
A very balanced and harmonious Saint Joseph that is just perfectly medium-of-everything. This isn't a huge Syrah, nor is it a light and delicate wine. It has both a savory, umami-driven side as well as some developed, sweet-toned dried-fruit flavors, yet not that much of either. There's good sense of structure, yet the wine isn't particularly tough or muscular. This is a very nice all-rounder by all accounts. Perhaps not that big on character and the aging potential might be a bit limited compared to the more ageworthy examples from the appellation, but this is still a solid and very enjoyable effort all the same. Nice stuff, albeit maybe getting a bit pricey for the quality at 46€. In our tasting the wine received only one point from the ten participants, making it finish on shared sixth (ie. last) place.
(91 points) -
2015 Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Sainte-Epine - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
100% organically farmed Syrah sourced from lieu-dit Sainte-Épine in the commune of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols on the southern part of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Mainly destemmed fruit. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel. Aged for a year in old, neutral French oak casks. 14% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Deep, completely opaque blackish-red color. Savory, somewhat meaty and quite solar nose slightly evolved aromas of balsamic richness, some sweet notes of ripe boysenberries and wizened dark berries, a little bit of game, light nuances of pipe tobacco, a hint of alcohol heat and a touch of earth. The wine feels dry, noticeably dense and pretty big on the palate with a full body and a quite powerful taste that seems to emphasize savory non-fruit flavors over fruit; there are notes of earth and savory smoked meat tones, some plummy dark fruit, a little bit of roasted game, light peppery tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of ripe boysenberry. While the taste is powerful, the fruit is lacking a bit in intensity and clarity. The overall feel is somewhat warm and the structure relies mostly on the ample, powdery and moderately grippy tannins than on the medium-plus acidity. The finish is long, warm and a bit heavy with a rich aftertaste of blueberries and dark plummy tones, some licorice, a little bit of peppery spice, light gamey nuances, a hint of tobacco and a touch of tart red plum. The ample tannins make the wine end on a moderately grippy note.
A rich, voluminous and a bit heavy Syrah that feels more like a Southern Rhône red with its high alcohol, big body and and somewhat modest acidity, not a classic Northern Rhône Syrah. I enjoyed the savory tones and firm tannic backbone here, but the overall feel is getting a bit too rich, solar and ponderous for my preference. This would be an interesting and complex wine if pitted against new world Shiraz wines, but tasting this blind with a bunch of more delicate 2015 St. Joes emphasizes the weight and ripeness here - and not the benefit of this wine. At 28€ the wine isn't particularly expensive for a Saint-Joseph, but I feel there are better wines to be had at the same price. In our tasting the wine received only one point from the ten participants, making it finish on shared sixth (ie. last) place.
(86 points) -
2015 Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
The fruit is sourced from multiple vineyards in the communes of Glun, Mauves and Tournon-sur-Rhône. The vineyards are vinified separately. Mostly destemmed with a tiny bit of grapes left in whole bunches. Fermented and macerated with the skins for 15 days. Aged for 14 months in old oak barrels, then blended and bottled. 13% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Deep, fully opaque and quite inky blackish-red color with a slightly evolved plummy hue. The nose feels ripe, rich and juicy with very solar, fruit-driven aromas of polished red-toned fruit, some meaty tones, a little bit of blackberry jam, light ripe boysenberry tones, a hint of freshly baked licorice and a touch of blood. The wine is dry, silky and supple on the palate with a medium body and quite savory flavors of ripe dark berries and savory umami, some brambly notes of blackberries, a little bit of meat and blood, light gravelly mineral tones and a sweeter hint of dried dark fruits. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity with quite gentle medium-minus tannins. The finish is juicy, lively and silky with a fruity, mellow aftertaste of fresh dark berries, some crunchy red plums, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light boysenberry jam tones, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of stony minerality.
A pleasant but also very polished, supple and easy St. Joe that comes across as pretty approachable but without any real character. This is still somewhat recognizable for a warm-vintage Northern Rhône Syrah - ie. it doesn't feel like a new world Shiraz - but compared with many other wines we tasted at the same go, it was pretty hard to get excited about this wine. It's not a bland wine, but maybe a bit anonymous and boring in nature. A decent wine that feels overpriced for the quality at 42€. In our tasting the wine received only one point from the ten participants, making it finish on shared sixth (ie. last) place.
(84 points) -
2015 Domaine Georges Vernay St. Joseph La Dame Brune - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
This wine is a notch above the regular Vernay Saint Joseph Terres d'Encre, made with biodynamically farmed and partially (70%) destemmed older-vine fruit (average vineyard age 45 years) from vineyards in Chavanay, a commune in the northern parts of Saint Joseph near Condrieu. Fermented and macerated with the skins in open-top oak fermentors for 15-20 days. Aged for 24 months in oak barrels (10% new). 13% alcohol. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Very deep, luminous and almost fully opaque blackish-red color. Fragrant, nuanced and very attractive nose of ripe boysenberries and bilberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of perfumed floral character, light cedary wood notes, an integrated hint of toasty oak spice and a subtly sweet touch of raspberry jam. The wine feels clean, nuanced and youthful on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of sweet-toned dark berries like bilberries and boysenberries, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light woody notes of cedar along with faint sweet notes of toasty oak spice, tart hints of lingonberries and sour cherries and a touch of crushed peppercorns. The wine is high in acidity with supple medium-minus tannins. The finish is youthful, long and lively with a juicy aftertaste of blackberries and blueberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light floral notes of violets, a little bit of dark plummy fruit, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of peppery spice.
A very sophisticated, harmonious and still remarkably youthful St. Joe that shows a good mélange of ripe yet not too sweet fruit, sense of minerality and bright acidity. Even if the wine comes across as a bit solar at times and a smidgen of new oak shows slightly through every now and then, the overall style is so vibrant, precise and true to both the region and the variety that it's hard not to love this. This was my favorite wine in our tasting and the wine received five points from the ten participants, making it finish on second place. Not affordable at 60€, though - but perhaps the wine will be worth the price once it ages, loses its most youthful qualities and develops some additional tertiary complexity.
(93 points) -
2015 Alain Voge St. Joseph Les Côtes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (7.12.2022)
This is the first vintage in which the labels bears the Cru from where the biodynamically farmed fruit is sourced from: Les Côtes. The Cru is situated in the southern reaches of the St. Joseph appellation, south from Mauves, and the average vine age is 10 years, having been replanted from 1999 onward. 80-90% of the fruit is destemmed. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks, macerated with the skins for a few weeks. Aged for 16 months in old 228-liter Burgundy pièces. Total production 5000 bottles and 50 magnums. 13% alcohol, 34 mg/l SO2. Tasted half-blind in a tasting of eleven 2015 Saint Joseph wines.
Deep, youthful and luminous blackish-red color that permits almost no light through. The nose feels savory, somewhat evolved and very attractive with ripe aromas of dark forest fruits and crushed peppercorns, some sweeter notes of wizened blackberries, a little bit of gamey meat, light floral nuances, juicy hints of boysenberries and bilberries and a touch of earth. The wine is firm, crunchy and lively on the palate with a medium-to-moderately body and slightly evolved flavors of crunchy cranberries and brambly blackberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of ferrous blood, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of smoked meat or bacon and a woody touch of savory oak spice. The wine feels pretty firm and structured with its high acidity and quite assertive medium-plus tannins that pile up on the gums and turn the wine moderately grippy. The finish is dry and sinewy with ample yet balanced tannic grip and a long, savory aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some ripe red plum tones, a little bit of earth, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of game and a touch of leather.
A stern, meaty and classically styled southern-end St. Joe that isn't a delicate and fruity wine like those that come from the northern end of the appellation, but instead a wine that has quite much in common with those that come from Cornas, just a little bit south from the vineyards where this wine came from. However, this didn't come across as clumsy or extracted at any point, but instead showing some of that freshness and elegance that is the hallmark of the classic Saint-Joseph wines. The wine is pretty impressive, but perhaps a bit stern and tightly-knit at the moment, showing more potential for further aging. At first this wine was my favorite in our tasting, but in the end chose Vernay's La Dame Brune instead as it also showed good potential for future development, but also maybe a bit more finesse - and was definitely more accessible right now, even if the wine was going to get better with further aging. At 44€ this wine was priced according to its quality (and at just 24,70€, which was the price at which I had purchased my own bottles, this wine is a bargain). In our tasting the wine received four points from the ten participants, making it finish on third place.
(93 points)
Then a few extras (I brought that Winter Riesling):
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2001 Domaine Barge Côte-Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (7.12.2022)
A blend of fruit from Boucharey, Lancement and Joseph du Plessy's former parcel in Côte Blonde. Typically a blend of Syrah (95%) and Viognier (5%). 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Evolved, moderately translucent pomegranate color with a developed maroon hue. The nose feels evolved, savory and quite vegetal with leafy, somewhat unripe green tones, some crunchy notes of redcurrants, a little bit of fresh bell pepper, light gamey tones, a hint of lingonberry and a touch of peppery spice. The wine is dry, lean and moderately vegetal on the palate with a medium body and slightly thin flavors of leafy greenness, some crunchy redcurrants, a little bit of earth, light meaty tones, a hint of tart cranberry and a touch of tobacco. The wine is high in acidity with moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is long, somewhat thin and quite evolved with moderately grippy tannins and a dry aftertaste of leafy greenness, some roasted bell pepper tones, a little bit of earth, light tart notes of lingonberries and a hint of pipe tobacco.
I was baffled by this wine when its label was revealed. I was pretty darn sure it was a cooler-vintage Chinon, but it turned out to be a Côte-Rôtie from an excellent vintage! What added even more to my confusion was that I had actually tasted the exact same wine six years before - and back then it was nothing short of extraordinary! Exactly how I'd want a 15-yo Northern Rhône Syrah to be - nothing even remotely vegetal here. I wonder what on earth had happened here? It might be that the wine had turned reductive with age, developing some green sulfur compounds - but I must admit, the vegetal notes reminded me more of pyrazines than any reductive green notes (which are more reminiscent of canned corn, asparagus and boxwood). I really can't say that this wine was quite unrecognizable for what it was six years ago and, thus, most likely an off bottle. A shame, really, knowing how stunning this wine can be when it is good!
(NR/flawed) -
2007 Weingut Winter Dittelsheimer Geyersberg Riesling trocken - Germany, Rheinhessen (7.12.2022)
A dry Riesling from Grosse Lage Geyersberg, a warm site where grapes usually ripen earlier than in most other vineyards. Back in 2007, the wine wasn't eligible for the GG designation, but the wine is basically the same as GG Geyersberg from the 2012 vintage onward. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite deep, moderately evolved and beautifully luminous golden-yellow color. The nose feels ridiculously sweet and thick, almost dessert wine-like, with intense aromas of acacia honey and crème brûlée, some pineapple marmalade, light floral notes, a little bit of tangerine, a hint of cloudberry jam and a touch of apple sauce. The wine feels dry but also very ripe, extracted and substantial on the palate with a noticeably full body and powerful flavors of stony minerality and overripe peach, some beeswax, a little bit of apple jam, light juicy notes of honeydew melon, a hint of savory spices and a touch of tinned pineapple. The overall feel is medium-to-moderately high in acidity, which doesn't feel that adequate at first, but the impression of acidity seems to slowly increase on the palate, making the wine feel more balanced. The mouthfeel is somewhat oily and viscous, concentrated by the age. The finish is powerful, concentrated and very ripe yet surprisingly savory and spicy with intense flavors of stony minerality and beeswax, some acacia honey, a little bit of overripe apricot, light pineapple tones, a hint of tangerine and a touch of orange marmalade.
I was expecting this to be a focused, mineral Riesling in the vein on classic GG Rieslings, but this turned out to be a textbook 2007 German Riesling, heavily emphasizing the warm and atypically long growing season in all its lush, concentrated glory. I mean, really, this is a huge powerhouse of a Riesling, coming across as almost dessert wine-like in character, but still dry in taste, not really showing any obvious residual sugar. In a sense, this is a somewhat clumsy and awkward wine, but somehow it manages to stay remarkably well together while showing immense depth and complexity. This ain't a Condrieu, but that level of weight and power isn't far away either - although this wine does show better acidity than a Viognier ever would. All in all, an impressive wine, but there's no denying it's a very ripe effort with a huge body. Good stuff, but not maybe the best candidate for a situation that calls for a crisp, lithe and mineral Riesling! At 50€ for a set of five bottles - ie. 13,30€ per bottle with all the additional costs - this was a bargain.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker