A very fleshy, ripe and slightly rounder expression that has a very impressive array of graphite, dark, stony minerals and blackberries, swathed in freshly ground, woody spices, bacon fat and pepper. There`s immense composure to the palate with dark-plum essence, dark chocolate and blackberries. Firm, oak tannins frame it up nice and long. Powerful. This needs time but has a long life ahead. Try in 2021. -- August 2018
Dark and winey, with intense waves of warm fig, blackberry and black currant compote flowing through, framed by mocha and apple wood accents. Everything pulls together over a strong graphite edge on the finish. Inviting now, but should be better with cellaring.
As the 2015 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph had been recently bottled when I tasted it last year and rated it 94 points, I've retasted it and upgraded it a point. Despite being aged in 100% new oak for close to 24 months, it shows only subtle hints of pencil shavings and vanilla on the nose, testament to the substance of the wine. Crushed stones play a role on the nose as well, emblematic of the site's granitic soils, while the velvety mouthfeel of this full-bodied wine delivers waves of rich, concentrated cherries that linger elegantly on the finish.
Technical Details
BlendSyrah
WinemakerPhilippe Guigal
CountryFrance
RegionRhone
AppellationSt. Joseph
Aging/Cooperage24 months in 100% new French oak
Shop All Wines Guigal St. Joseph Lieu Dit St. Joseph 2015
Guigal St. Joseph Lieu Dit St. Joseph 2015
Syrah Blends | France
JS96, WS95, WA95, JD94-96
$49.95 | 750mL
SOLD OUT
Too late, we are SOLD OUT!
To quote Marcel Guigal himself on the other-worldly 2015 vintage in the Northern Rhone: "2015 is on the level of 1929, 1947, 1961," he proclaimed. "It is surely the vintage of a lifetime. In 55 years, I’ve never seen anything like it."
“Bacon fat” is a term religiously applied to Guigal’s amazing Syrahs, but they are so much more. Thrilling, always, but deep and complex and multi-dimensional, too.This is one of those wines that you'll find yourself constantly swirling, as it changes in the glass, offering you up something new with every visit. “Rich” is an understatement --- opulent, hedonistic, pure, fresh and wildly complex. Check our price - best in the country! Then buy all you can...quickly though...this parcel won't last long!
About the Producer
The Guigal Estate was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in Ampuis, a small ancient village and cradle of the Cote Rotie appellation. It shelters a unique vineyard where the vines and wines have been famous for 2,400 years. Arriving in 1924 at 14 years old, the founder vinified 67 harvests in Cote Rotie and, at the beginning of his career, took part in the development of Vidal-Fleury establishment. His son Marcel began working with his father in 1961, and today, Marcel's father Philippe is now the winemaker.
