Reviews
Technical Details
- BlendSyrah
- WinemakerSylvain Gauthier
- CountryFrance
- RegionRhone Valley
- Sub-RegionCheminas
- AppellationSaint-Joseph
- VineyardSainte-Épine
- Farming MethodHand-harvested
- Aging/CooperageAged for one year in older French oak barrels (three years old)
- Alcohol14%
Domaine des Pierres Seches Saint-Joseph Sainte-Epine 2016
The talented Sylvain Gauthier works his 80+ year-old vines from the tiny lieu-dit “Sainte-Épine” made famous by the likes of Delas, Gonon and Trollat. From the already classic 2016 vintage (fantastic, as you likely are aware) this is a wine that will just KNOCK you out when you taste it. This is astoundingly terrific for just under $50 --- $149.85 per 3-pack DELIVERED!
This is such a lovely, powerful, minerally, brilliant wine. Palate-wise, this has a lot in common with the fabled Hermitage, with its deep concentration and layered texture, but it also sports some of Cote Rotie’s signature savory qualities. Saint-Joseph shares many similar traits to Hermitage, with its high elevation, granitic soils and steep slopes. Today’s single vineyard, Saint-Épine, sits directly across the Rhone river from Hermitage in one of the most important townships in all of Saint-Joseph - St. Jean de Muzols.
Purple/black and exploding with juicy, at-peak-ripeness boysenberry and black raspberry, deeply savory minerality, crushed flower petals, lavender, cured meat and liquified rock...long and lingering, with just a bit of chewy, but well integrated tannin that implies a decade or more of life with ease. Truly a wine that drinks WAY over its price and one that can stand toe to toe with some of the very best wines being made in the region today -- if you love the Northern Rhone, you need this in your cellar for drinking and loving while your $150+ Chave and Guigal wines age!