Wines (12 View)

#10 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2021.

95 pts Wine Spectator
A bright savory note leads off this red, followed quickly by sanguine and bay leaf accents, all melding nicely with the core of steeped blackberry, raspberry and plum fruit flavors as they move through the rich, licorice root?????tinged finish. Best from 2022 through 2035

This deep and rich Hermitage, from a family run operation, displays smoked cherry and berry plus dark roasted coffee, iron and red meat on the nose.? On the palate the wine is exceptionally chewy, with cassis, orange rind, and chocolate notes backed by bacon, iron and smoke tones. Excellent acidity and density make this is well-structured Hermitage worthy of additional aging to fully reveal itself.? Decant for at least an hour to serve now. - PJ

Organic

Although fermented in concrete, this is a fuller styled Cotes du Rhone with a good proportion of Syrah. Surprisingly serious for this price point.

Organic

92 points Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the reds, the 2020 Vacqueyras Les Hauts De La Ponche is 50% Grenache and 25% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre. It actually reminds me of a Pomerol with its red and blue fruits as well as bouquet garni, damp earth, and floral nuances. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, I love its balance, and it has silky tannins and remarkable purity of fruit. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years.

This 100% Syrah is planted on Granite soils right outside Saint Joseph. The wine starts out with classic garrigue aromatics, soft texture, black currants, and a gritty stone driven finish. This is an exceptional daily drinker for those with a traditional palate.

Winner of our Wine Of The Year 2023 Blind Taste Off!!!

We had fifty wines as contenders for our Wine of the Year this year, but only one can come out on top. Domaine Vincent Paris wowed us with his Les Cotes Saint Joseph and it was the clear winner. The first thing you will notice is the elegant profile in the glass, this is clearly not Syrah from southern France. This Saint Joseph is a wine of subtlety, layered nuance, and not a fruit bomb you might experience from this varietal in other parts of the world. For example, the alcohol is only 12.5% which is so integrated that you don’t even notice it. As the wine lingered in our glasses the traditional notes of northern Rhone Syrah unveiled themselves, showcasing garrigue and a savory animal fat component. On the palate, the wine builds and builds displaying pretty blackberry and cherry fruit with some white pepper intertwined. The finish is stoney and a bit rustic which adds so much charm to this very drinkable Saint Joseph.

"I like to drink this wine young, with fruit and freshness, but it can also be kept for around 10 years." - Vincent Paris

We absolutely adored this wine and we believe you will too! Domaine Vincent Paris’ wines have adorned our shelves many times over the years and we are proud to promote his 2022 Les Cotes aint Joseph. Enjoy!

Organic. 100% Syrah from 10 and 20 year old vines in Granitic soils at 300m in elevation. Prunes to only four bunches of grapes per vine (the norm is between five and seven) which concentrates the vines' growing power and cuts down on the need for green harvests. Ferments at low temps, vinfied 2/3 in barrel and 1/3 in tank. Aged in oak barrels for up to 12 months. Only 580-650 cases produced annually.

"Beautiful red color, with purple highlights. With a lot of freshness, this rich and spicy wine offers red and black fruits aromas (blackberry, black currant). The palate is beautifully balanced, crunchy, with silky tannins and a very long and aromatic finish." Winemaker notes

Since 1970, La Vieille Ferme has been producing authentic, honest and tasty wines vintage after vintage. In some of the world’s best restaurants and bars, La Vieille Ferme has been acknowledged as one of the best value for money wines in the world.

The Perrin family, also owners of the famous Château de Beaucastel, search for the most suitable terroirs to produce a fresh and fruity wine. Unpretentious, this is the archetypal pleasure wine; authentic, genuine and tasty.

Crisp blackberry and plum flavors are edged by earthen nuances of bramble and forest floor in this full-bodied blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah. It’s juicy but briskly concentrated, framed by ripe, integrated tannins. Enjoy this mouthfilling but easy-quaffing red while it’s young.

Organic / Natural

Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan

Organic

92 points James Suckling
Dark and spicy with some wet-earth and violet notes, this is a rich and well-structured Cotes-du-Rhone Villages, in which the black fruit is well married to bold yet supple tannins. Long finish with a certain firmness that suggests this will benefit from some years of further bottle age. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Organic

92 points Wine Advocate
The 2015 Saint Joseph Domaine de la Croix des Vignes is more tannic than the 2016 but not better. Dry cedary notes frame cherry fruit in the medium to full-bodied wine that will require a couple of years in the cellar to show its best.