2010 St Joseph Les Royes
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Tasting notes
Opaque purple. Ripe cherry and blackberry on the pungent nose and in the mouth. Fleshy and smooth in texture but lively as well, with a bright jolt of minerality adding lift. Becomes smokier and spicier with air and finishes with gentle tannins and sweet persistence. Like the regular Saint-Joseph, this wine is very drinkable right now, but this one has the depth to reward longer cellaring.
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Robert Parker
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The opaque ruby/purple-tinged 2010 Saint Joseph Les Royes offers sweet strawberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with notes of incense, camphor, smoke and crushed rock. This full, thick, rich beauty can be consumed over the next decade. One of the most quality-conscious estates in the Northern Rhône, Domaine Courbis produces a trio of vineyard-designated Cornas as well as two cuvees of impressive St.-Joseph. After the brilliant success of their 2009 vintage, I thought it would be difficult for this estate to equal what they achieved, but the 2010s are all stunning, and the 2011s are not far behind. The Courbis family has nearly 48 acres in Saint-Joseph and another 20 in Cornas, making them a relatively impressive family-owned estate. The Cornas vineyards are planted in decomposed granite soils with little top soil. The Cornas Les Eygats emerges from what the Courbis brothers feel is their greatest microclimate, from a terraced vineyard composed of broken granite, planted at an altitude of 250 meters. Importer: Russell Herman, Berkeley Heights, NJ; tel. (908) 771-9082
Glass-staining purple. Spicy, floral-accented aromas of black raspberry, incense and olive. Supple and rich in the mouth, with intense dark berry preserve flavors and a touch of anise. Closes long and sweet, with a jolt of peppery spices and very good energy, leaving a smoky note behind.