Description
The Saint-Joseph AOP – Sortilège from Domaine Jean-François Jacouton is a rare, precise cuvée, made exclusively from Syrah, the king grape of the northern Rhône Valley. Planted on south-east-facing granite slopes, the vines enjoy an exceptional terroir that encourages slow, complete ripening of the grapes. The poor, well-drained soil, combined with a climate that is both sunny and cool, produces concentrated grapes while retaining the lively acidity essential to the wine’s balance.
The grapes are picked by hand, with rigorous sorting in the vineyard to keep only the healthiest, ripest berries. After full destemming, vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, with a cold pre-fermentation maceration lasting several days to gently extract aromas and colour. Fermentation is accompanied by gentle pumping over to preserve the finesse of the tannins. The wine is then aged for 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels, around 20% of them new, to bring structure and complexity without overpowering the fruit.
On tasting, the wine shows a deep purple colour with violet tints. The nose is intense and complex, dominated by aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and violet, with subtle touches of black pepper, liquorice and toasted oak. On the palate, the attack is broad and supple, and the wine unfolds a lovely velvety texture, elegant, smooth tannins and well-integrated freshness that carries through to the finish. The finish is long, marked by a spicy touch and a hint of minerality.
The Saint-Joseph Sortilège is a wine of character, yet with exemplary balance, which can be enjoyed young after aeration or kept in the cellar for 8 to 10 years to reveal its full complexity. It is an ideal match for a rack of lamb, a beef daube, a fillet of game, or a truffled Brie.
Grape variety: 100% Syrah
Terroir: Granite slopes, south-east facing
Viticulture: Sustainable, hand harvesting
Vinification: Full destemming, cold maceration, stainless steel vats
Ageing: 12–14 months in barrels (20% new)
Serving temperature: 16–18 °C
Cellaring: 8 to 10 years
A Saint-Joseph that is racy, precise and seductive, expressing all the nobility of Syrah on its home terroir.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.