2013 St Joseph
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Tasting notes
The 2013 Saint-Joseph begins to glow aromatically with tobacco leaves, forest floor and dried black fruits. Showing impeccable freshness on the medium-bodied palate, the 2013 emerged from a cold growing season that resulted in the latest harvest date ever recorded at Domaine Pierre Gonon, finishing on October 10. Anchored by a firm tannic core that lends well-etched structure, the 2013 may never be a charmer, instead highlighting elegant austerity with outstanding precision on the savory-spiced resolution. Brief decanting is recommended.
Critic scores
Josh Raynolds
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
I continue to love the 2013 St Joseph and it's a classic, elegant beauty that offers lots of minerality, purple fruits, olive, pepper and liquid violets characteristics. Possessing medium-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin and a lively, already hard to resist style, drink it anytime over the coming decade.
Saturated ruby. Mineral- and spice-tinged red and dark fruit aromas are complemented by suggestions of candied licorice and pungent flowers. Distinctly lively and sharply delineated, offering concentrated blackberry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and a zesty mineral quality. Rich yet energetic, with noteworthy balance and focus. Shows superb energy lift and thrust on the impressively long finish, which is framed by smooth, even tannins.
(this was literally bottled a few hours before I tasted it on December 15th): Bright purple. Classic syrah aromas of black and blue fruits, olive paste, potpourri and bacon fat, with a mineral element adding vivacity. Sweet, sappy and seamless, with vibrant boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that put on weight and become spicier with air. The floral note builds through a strikingly long, focused, gently tannic finish, which leaves a note of cracked pepper behind.