2020 St Joseph Les Granits

Marked by scents of crushed stone, licorice and black cherries, the 2020 Saint-Joseph Les Granits shows characteristic cool, granitic restraint. Medium to full-bodied, it's streamlined and fresh, with silky tannins and a long, elegant finish. It's a wine I seem to have underestimated in my prior tasting.

The 2020 Saint Joseph Les Granits brings another level of richness and depth, with a darker, almost cooler edge to its black fruits, scorched earth, and graphite, with an Hermitage-like leather note. Full-bodied on the palate, it builds beautifully with air and has sweet tannins, a stacked mid-palate, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. I finished my note with a few expletives that I can’t post here, but suffice to say, I think this is an utterly magical Saint Joseph. It offers pleasure even today yet will have at least two decades of prime drinking. As always, this comes from the lieu-dit Saint Joseph, was destemmed, and the aging spanned 18 months in 20% new demi-muids and barrels.

Saturated violet. There are expressive aromas of mineral-tinged black and blue fruits, violet, incense and exotic spices, and a hint of smokiness. Stains the palate with vibrant blackberry, blueberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors that slowly deepen and become sweeter with air. Shows impressive power but comes off elegant, showing fine definition on a strikingly long, youthfully tannic finish that leaves behind sappy blue fruit and spicecake notes.