| Score: |
95 WA.
"Brought up all in new oak, the 2013 St Joseph Vignes des Hospices is a huge success in the vintage and needs to be snatched up by savvy readers. Possessing massive granite character, with notes of charcoal, crushed violets, wet rock and cassis and blackcurrant fruit, this beauty is full-bodied, concentrated, chiseled and beautifully pure. Drink this total rock star St Joseph anytime over the coming 15-20 years. As always, my visit with Marcel and Philippe Guigal is one of the highlights of my entire time spent working in the northern Rhône. As I think the list of wines demonstrate, this is a huge lineup, yet the theme across the entire range is incredible quality. Looking at the top Côte Rôties, the current releases in bottle are the 2012s and these are rich, supple, sexy, even flamboyant wines that will be relatively approachable in their youth, yet have broad drink windows. The 2013s are much more backward and restrained, and built for the long haul, but the long élevage favored at this estate is certainly helping to soften the tannin and give the wines a suppler texture. As to the 2014s, I was shocked at the depth and density this team was able to get in these wines, but this is another vintage that will be approachable in its youth. Lastly, and from vintage described by Marcel as the best of his lifetime (how’s that for perspective?), the 2015s are inky and primordial, with mind-boggling depth and density. These will be reviewed two to three more times before release, but start saving today! Lastly, it’s also worth pointing out that the estate has started utilizing a new cork technique that guarantees no TCA. This doesn’t come cheap and is close to two Euros per cork, but it’s just another example of the attention to detail and the level of effort that this estate puts forth to ensure the quality in the bottle. Hats off to them." Wine Advocate #228, Dec 2016 |