E. Guigal
Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge 2017
Saint-Joseph
A result of its quality, Guigal’s Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge comes from the “Saint-Joseph” vineyard that gives the appellation its name. This site convinced the Guigals to work in Saint-Joseph and help to restore the historic perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. The 100% Syrah wine has complex and deep black fruit, floral, spice and mineral characteristics. Despite its concentration and powerful attack, the wine retains the trademark elegance that Saint-Joseph offers.
VINEYARD
Guigal’s Saint-Joseph Lieu Dit comes from the vineyard that gives the appellation its name, and is one of the finest sites in the Northern Rhone Valley. Guigal owns the majority of this parcel, with 14 acres in total, 60% of which is planted to red grapes and 40% to white grapes. The vines are from 20 to 75 years of age, planted on steep slopes of gneiss with streaks of granite.
Yields are incredibly low for this 100% Syrah wine, harvesting 1.8 tons per acre on average.
WINEMAKING
Fermentation is carried out at high, controlled temperatures and aged in 50% new oak and 50% first year barrels.
VINTAGE
Following the classic 2016 vintage, 2017 in the Northern Rhône was a year of contrasts and challenges. Following a very dry winter, spring was wet with hail and frost in some areas, reducing the crop considerably. Summer was characterized by periods of extreme drought, which continued through the fall, interrupted by some needed rain in early September. The crop in Saint-Joseph was about 15% smaller than usual. However, the fruit was clean and extremely concentrated, with rich but round tannins, producing dense wines of balance and ripeness. Guigal’s 2017 Saint Joseph Lieu Dit Rouge is uncharacteristically rich, with explosive aromas of bacon and smoke and great depth and length – impressive early. A great result!
TASTING NOTE
Deep red in color. Complex with dominant black fruit and delicate oak aromas. A pure and intense nose. A powerful attack on the pallet with round and elegant tannins. Overall, a veritable success. Fresh and powerful. Will become more refined with age.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Syrah
Appellation
Saint-Joseph
Farming
Guigal uses only environmentally sustainable methods of pest, disease and weed control. They work to conserve biological diversity, water resources, soils and ecosystems on their land. Packaging materials are recyclable or biodegradable. Lastly, they are committed to achieving a zero waste target.
Alcohol
14.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$75
Reviews
"Concentrated yet vibrant"
Vinous - October 12, 2020 “Inky magenta. Heady, mineral- and oak-tinged blue fruit, potpourri, cola and olive aromas are given a spicy edge by a hint of cracked pepper. Impressively concentrated yet vibrant in character, offering sweet, palate-staining boysenberry, floral and spicecake flavors that pick up a smoky nuance on the back half. Shows sharp delineation and mineral cut on the impressively long finish, which is framed by supple, harmonious tannins.”
"Extroverted style"
Wine Spectator - October 28, 2020 “An extroverted style, with a rush of boldly ripe plum and blackberry compote flavors that are round and inviting in feel, laced with dark licorice and fruitcake and ending with an inlay of violet on the toasty finish. A buried iron note keeps it all honest.”
"Ripe, polished tannins"
Jeb Dunnuck (95+) - November 20, 2020 "Coming from the namesake vineyard of the appellation just south of Tournon, it reveals a dense purple color as well as a primordial bouquet of smoked black fruits, bacon fat, chocolate, crushed rocks, and graphite. This deep, medium to full-bodied, concentrated effort has ripe, polished tannins, a great mid-palate, and a blockbuster of a finish."
"Full-bodied and velvety"
Wine Advocate - May 14, 2021
"The 2017 Saint-Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint-Joseph displays plenty of cedar and vanilla accents on the nose (it's aged in 100% new French oak) [...] Full-bodied and velvety, this is a rich, ripe Syrah that's presently hiding much of its granite terroir behind pillows of fruit and oak—but that sense of structure and proportion does shine through on the long, elegant finish. There's enough concentration and tannin to think at least a decade of aging potential is realistic." - J.C.
"Appealing from the very first whiff"
Wine & Spirits Magazine - August 19, 2021
"This comes from the vineyard that gave St-Joseph its name, a south-facing parcel of granite in Tournon that grew a garnet-hued beauty in 2017. It’s appealing from the very first whiff, a mix of oak smoke and spicy black plum. While the oak notes from two years in barrels are prominent, the wine feels balanced, the meaty fruit absorbing their impact without losing any of its freshness. You could drink this now for the sexy opulence of its bacon-smoked flavors, but it’s structured to age for a decade or more."
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Saint Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice
Saint-Joseph
Guigal’s Vignes de l’Hospice is one of the finest sites in the Northern Rhone Valley. This steeply terraced vineyard used to be divided into three, but Guigal now owns majority of this parcel in order to restore perception of Saint-Joseph as an appellation of utmost quality. In fact, Guigal is often asked when they will produce a fourth “LaLa,” and their response is that their fourth single vineyard phenomenon of the Northern Rhone is already being produced: the Vignes de l’Hospice.
Côte-Rôtie La Landonne
Côte-Rôtie
One of the three “LaLa” wines that Guigal produces and are the most collectible wines of the Rhone Valley, La Landonne is a remarkable expression of terroir. And for good reason, La Landonne is situated on one of the steepest vineyards of the Côte Brune, a 45 degree slope that remarkably requires harvesters to start picking from the bottom of the vineyard and work their way up, placing grape bunches in bins that are set on sleds and dragged up the hill. Along with its position at the northern end of the Côte Brune and the fact it is the last vineyard to ripen, La Landonne is the mirror of the feminine and voluptuous La Mouline: it is a wine of driving power, defined by its dark fruit and structure. The first vintage Guigal produced was in 1978, after being planted in 1975 at the time of Philippe Guigal’s birth.
Côte-Rôtie La Turque
Côte-Rôtie
Of the three famous single-vineyard “LaLas” that Guigal produces and are the most collectible wines of the Rhone Valley, La Turque is the newest. This vineyard produced outstanding wines in the first half of the 20th century, but then was not used for wine production for nearly 50 years. The Guigals acquired the vineyard and re-planted it in 1980 and 1981, based on Etienne Guigal’s memory of the quality of the wines it once produced. The first vintage appeared in 1985. In both position and style, it sits between La Mouline and La Landonne: the complex soils lend an exotic character to La Turque, and its concentration and elegance exhibit the virility of the Côte Brune with the subtlety and femininity of the Côte Blonde.
Côte-Rôtie La Mouline
Côte-Rôtie
First planted by the Romans 2,500 years ago, La Mouline is the oldest and most famous vineyard of Cote-Rotie, and Guigal’s single vineyard bottling of La Mouline in the 1960s set off a quality revolution throughout the Rhone Valley. The stunning amphitheater is the most complex plot in Cote-Rotie due to its extremely steep slopes with expositions in every direction. Of the three famous “LaLas” that Guigal produces and are the most collectible wines of the Rhone Valley, La Mouline was the first and is the only one on the Cote Blonde, and its signature is an unbelievable exoticism, an irresistibly and unique lifted floral, black fruit, earthy, spicy perfume, its coiled power always in balance, seemingly endless.
Ermitage Ex Voto Rouge
Hermitage
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc
Hermitage
Ermitage Ex-Voto represents the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Marcel Guigal’s to own vineyard land on the hill of Hermitage. Through the purchase of the de Vallouit and J. L. Grippat domaines in 2000, Guigal acquired four exceptional vineyard parcels on this legendary site. The 2001 vintage was the first release of this estate-bottled Hermitage red and white. The quality of the intense old-vine fruit is quite special, but given the Guigal’s already strong work in Hermitage, they decided to only release an Ex-Voto red or white when the wine is utterly exceptional and clearly superior to their appellation bottlings.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Guigal produces an intensely concentrated, inviting and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape that is almost unique to the region today. Their passion for Châteauneuf, the leading appellation of the Southern Rhône, runs as deeply as that for their home sites in the Northern Rhône. The combination of working with top fruit that has perfect ripeness, along with their extraordinary patience in the cellar, results in rich and full, yet savory, spicy, seamless and balanced wines. Wines to enjoy immediately but capable of aging, and, above all, wines that leave you wanting more.
Hermitage Blanc
Hermitage
Whites make up a small percentage of production in the Rhône, under 2%, but white wines are a little bit of a secret specialty at Guigal and today comprise 25% of their production. And for good reason, as the whites of the Northern Rhône are true discovery wines, immensely appealing and complex. They specifically display an expressiveness and brightness while also capturing the warmth of the area. Even more of a discovery is Hermitage Blanc, one of the least-known yet most intriguing wines of the Rhône Valley and in the small 309 acre Hermitage AOC.
Hermitage
Hermitage
Hermitage is one of France’s most spectacular and famous appellations, producing small quantities of extraordinarily intense and ageworthy red wine and tiny amounts of dry white. The entire vineyard consists of 309 acres planted on a single granite hillside on the banks of the Rhône. The Hermitage Rouge is the example of a racy wine, that manages to remain seductive.
Condrieu La Doriane
Condrieu
La Doriane is a luxury cuvée of Condrieu that the Guigals have produced since the 1994 vintage. A great success since the first vintage, the wine always seems richly oaked and very fruity when young, transforming in 3-4 years into a seamlessly complex, aromatic and vibrant wine. La Doriane contradicts the accepted wisdom that Condrieu does not age well.
