Region | |
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Subregion | France > Rhône > Northern Rhône > Saint-Joseph |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Maison M. Chapoutier
It's always fun to taste the Les Granits next to the Le Clos, as the wines are dramatically different. The 2020 Saint Joseph Le Clos comes from a higher elevation, more east-facing site, and the alcohol is always a touch lower here, checking in at 13.6%, with the Les Granits being 14.1%. Closed and tight aromatically, it slowly offers up pure cassis, mulberry, and scorched earth-like aromatics, and I always find a Hermitage-like regalness in this wine. Full-bodied, pure, utterly seamless, concentrated, and with a great finish, this is as classy and refined as Saint Joseph gets. Hide bottles for 4-5 years if you can and enjoy over the following two decades. It's one of the greatest Saint Josephs out there. 2027 - 2047
Dense black fruit overlaid with violets - very much in the Mauves style of Saint-Joseph. Peppery and spicy. Full-bodied without heaviness, this feels dense but not overly thick. Tannins are chalky but melting, like 100% pure cocoa. The oak is a little more pronounced than with Les Granits, but it's well integrated. Lifted finish. There's intense concentration and deep, dark tannins, but it's all very well balanced. May prove to be the vintage yet of Le Clos.
Drinking Window 2027 - 2035
The 2020 Saint Joseph Le Clos comes from a higher elevation, east-facing site south of Tournon, which would seem to be a cooler terroir, but this is an early ripening site that produces incredible wines. Cassis, violets, powdered granite, and bouquet garni give way to a medium to full-bodied, elegant, pure, and utterly seamless Saint Joseph that will have two decades of longevity.