Saint-Joseph

This cuvee is mainly matured in concrete vats, with only 30% of the wine seeing oak. This brings a real focus on the purity of fruit. The nose is dark and dense with lots of blackberry fruit. A good mineral streak runs through the palate which is well-structured with firm tannins. Drink 2020-2025.
Oliver Barton, Buying Assistant

Barrel fermented Roussanne seldom gets more aromatic and moreish than this. Grilled almond, quince and pear-skin dance on the palate.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

The Medieval village of Malleval, perched high above the serpentine Rhône, provides a suitably lofty homestead for Pierre Gaillard, one of the most influential and highly respected vignerons in the valley. His legacy seems to be in good hands, if our tasting with his daughter Jeanne and son Pierre-Antoine is anything to go by. This was a fascinating (and lengthy!) barrel tasting, rehearsing the minutiae of differences between parcels and underlining the sheer quality of the vintage.

The somewhat unassuming Chave winery is located in the heart of St Joseph in Mauves, so it is only fitting that the Offerus is now a key part of the portfolio. Made with grapes sourced in Mauves, Sarrras and St Jean de Muzols, this is a traditionally-made wine, with plenty of grip and peppered with expressive warming fruit.

Justifying its somewhat hyperbolic name, this magnificent wine from 80-year-old vines has a core of ripe red-berried fruit, buttressed by very fine tannins and fascinating additional flavours, reminiscent of cloves, chocolate and morello cherry.
(Simon Field M.W. - Rhône Buyer)

Cuminaille has been a long-standing Berry Bros. & Rudd listing, and was indeed one of M Gaillard’s first projects on leaving Vidal Fleury (then not owned by Guigal) in the late 1970s. The quality is as good as ever, with a relatively short cuvaison indicative of both the quality and power of the fruit itself, which sings of cassis, sloe and myrtle, with bay, cocoa and hints of dark chocolate in the wings.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

The Medieval village of Malleval, perched high above the serpentine Rhône, provides a suitably lofty homestead for Pierre Gaillard, one of the most influential and highlyrespected vignerons in the valley. With his two daughters, son and wife all part of the business, this is clearly a family affair, its influence now keenly felt in Seyssuel just to the north, not to mention Collioure and Faugères in the Languedoc, where some excellent wines have broadened an already impressive portfolio. The smaller production 2013 Saint Joseph Clos de Cuminaille should be a step up over the traditional cuvee. It has rock-solid notes of black raspberry, crushed rocks, wild herbs and olive, as well as good underlying minerality. Medium-bodied, balanced, with good purity and an elegant feel, it should have 7-8 years of longevity, possibly more.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014

Yves’ top St Joseph, from old vines around the Chavanay and Mauves communes. A robust, finely structured wine, with firm mineral acidity cutting through the granitic blocks of black fruit.
Simon Field M.W. - Rhône Buyer

A broad seductive graphite nose provides the overture to a very serious (I almost wrote Syrahious) synaesthetic symphony of colour and restraint. Like a Turner sea-scape; farmed on impossibly steep slopes behind Mauves, this is very good indeed, by which I mean about a good as it gets with the still under-rated appellation of St Joseph.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

Amongst the most celebrated, rarest and over-subscribed wines in the Rhône Valley, the Selections Parcellaires are the finest expressiosn of terroir, mostly the soils of the Hill of Hermitage, the minutiae of which are painted with pointillist attention to detail and unparalleled expertise. Inevitably they are made in modest quantities. Do not be too taken aback by the fact that Michel drops his ‘h’s when describing his Ermitage. It is not an estuary French, rather an acknowledgement of ancient spelling.

Sourced from 60-year-old vines in the commune of St Jean de Muzols, l’Olivaie is aged half in barrique and half in demi-muid. Nothing exceptional there, but it is segregated because of its power and extraordinarily dense texture; a velvet underground beyond the granite, clearly. Impressive of length and structure, this wine richly deserves its separate bottling and critical adulation. Drink 2019-2026.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

The best of Yves’s three St Joseph wines, the vines are located near Chavanay and mostly over 40 years of age. Les Serines is a worthy ambassador to the on-going re-appraisal of this appellation, all of it positive. A powerful smoky nose is followed by a palate which combines earthy notes with mulberry fruit and a herbal backdrop. It is the poise and definition on the finish which underline the merits of appellation and producer alike. Oh, and the vintage!
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

Jean Gonon is one of the most likeable winemakers in the valley and there was universal applause when this outstanding estate, run with biodynamic rigour, was recently awarded the rare accolade of a third star in the Revue des Vins de France. Three stars is top stars for the top stars and seldom awarded. The 2015, unsurprisingly, demonstrates what all the fuss is about; Syrah at its purest, most honest and most profoundly rewarding. Drink 2019-2027.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

This hails from 80-year-old vines grown at low yields, with a production of a mere 5,000 bottles. As usual, 50 percent of stems are maintained, engendering a more cerebral edgy wine than its siblings, but well worth the intellectual investment. Bold ripe black fruits, then spice, complexity, velvety tannic grip and a powerful finish. Drink 2021-2026+.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

This is a “sélection parcellaire” coming from vines that are over 60 years old, in the northern part of St Joseph. Thanks to time in 25% new French oak, this wine displays an attractive sweet spice and cedar aroma. Rich and generous in body, its subtle smoky and meaty notes support the luxurious red and black fruit. Concentrated and complex. Drink 2020-2028.