2012 St Joseph L'Amarybelle
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Tasting notes
(raised in one- and two-year-old barriques ): Opaque ruby. Deeply pitched aromas of dark berry liqueur, licorice, violet and peppery spices. A smoky mineral nuance adds vibrancy and lift to the plush blackberry and cassis flavors, which become spicier with air. Quite lively for its heft, finishing on a smoky bacon note, with strong thrust and smooth, slow-building tannins.
Critic scores
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Josh Raynolds
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Dark purple. Black and blue fruit aromas, with notes of olive, mocha and woodsmoke adding complexity. Round and weighty on the palate, offering pliant blackberry and cherry compote flavors lifted by zesty acidity. Finishes sweet and long, with smooth tannins providing grip. This looks like it will be approachable on the young side.
The 2012 Saint Joseph L'Amarybelle has more richness and weight, with beautiful black raspberry, charred earth, roasted herbs and background meatiness. More masculine and muscular, with medium to full-bodied power on the palate, as well as ripe tannin, it will evolve gracefully for 10-12 years. Yves releases two cuvees from Cornas, and I found the quality consistent in 2012, yet preferred the Vires release by a fair margin in 2011. There are three Saint Joseph cuvees in red: the Les Pierres Seches, which comes from sand and granite soils around the town of Chavanay; the L'Amarybelle, which comes from high density, terraced plantings of older vines; and lastly, the Les Serines, which comes from the oldest vines of the estate and is the only cuvee to see new oak. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant Ltd., Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990