Saint Joseph Vignes de l'Hospice, Etienne Guigal 2010

Also remarkable, the 2010 St.-Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice boasts smoky black currant notes intermixed with blueberries, boysenberries, spring flowers and crushed rock in a full-bodied, intense, deep, textured style. Undeniable minerality, good acidity and a slightly more structured mouthfeel suggest it will need several years of bottle age after its release next year; it should keep for two decades.

Giving up more graphite and spice, with serious minerality in its cassis, licorice, toast and smoked meat-like aromatics, the 2010 Saint Joseph Vignes des Hospice is a serious, age-worthy effort that needs another handful of years to truly shine. Full-bodied, concentrated and structured, with sweet tannin, it’s rock-star stuff that will have two decades of longevity.