2022 Domaine Des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Rouge
– Nose: A Fabulous Maelstrom
– Dark Flowers
– Spicy, Almost Black Fruits
– Massive, Stunning
– Elegant Olives
– One Is Taken Back by the Beautiful Aromatic Spectrum
– Explosive, Precise
– Tiny Black Berry Fruits
– Lovely Graphite
– Hint of Licorice on the Finish
– In Between the Dark Sweet Fruit of Gripa
– And the Old School Classicism of Gonon
– With the Alluring Texture of Allemand On A Smaller Scale
– Incredible Combo Of Density And Freshness
– 3-4 Year Old Barrels
– Competes with $50-$60 St Joseph. Only $31.
2022 Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Blanc
– 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (2019)
– From the St. Epine Area – Best Area for Whites – Very Rare
– Crazy Aromatics
– Anise, Herbs, Custard
– Fresh Baked Bread
– Granite Very Wafting
– So Mineral
– Palate – Incredible Richness
– Honeysuckle, Peach, Pineapple
– Moderate Amounts of Gorgeous Fruits…
– but Delivered in Such an Elegant Way
– Granitic Minerality
– Ridiculously Complex
– Lovely Minerality
The Curse of Price Signalling
Price signaling is the concept in economics that the price of a good or service signals something to the consumer. For example, a price increase could signal that the item is in short supply. Alas, prices also quite often signal quality. Which is fine for items that are “properly” priced. Alas, market prices factor in things other than quality, such as brand value. And the brand value of today’s wine is not yet what it should be.
So the wines are cheaper than they should be.
And everyone thinks that they are not as good as they are.
And buys less than they should.
Which is paradoxical because the low price also means that they are a great value.
And so it goes.
An Important Brief Note on St. Joseph
Before I I start, I’d like to give a brief summary of St. Joseph. First, it is very large and there are a ton of mediocre wines. There are two very important areas:
– Mauves – Chave and Gripa are here. The wines are more dark, brooding, mineral and need much more time to open up but age wonderfully. Think Chambertin. For Whites, think Montrachet.
– St. Epine – Gonon, Trollat and Sylvain Gauthier are here. This style is more red fruited and finesse-driven with a striking granitic mineral expression. Like Chambolle or Volnay but of course with the requisite syrah olives and game and even some black fruits in vintages like ’15 and ’18. For whites think Chevalier-Montrachet.
Sylvain Gauthier
I’ve been working with Sylvain Gauthier since the beginning of Fass Selections. From 2014 on, he is can’t miss. His 2021s are not just better than his outstanding 20s but dramatically better. It’s his best and most classic vintage since his epic 14s. I think 2021 is his best vintage. He nailed the reds in this vintage. They have such a serious classical structure and are so refined and elegant. In monster solar vintages his wines need a ton of time and air but in 21 they are so good on the pop and pour. Sylvain’s wines have improved so much we started working with him and I can honestly say that they are knocking at the door of the big boys(Gonon/Chave/Gripa) quality-wise at 1/2 to 2/3 the price. Many of my most valuable clients whose palates I respect the most also agree. The reds are so good and such crazy values, I know everyone will stock up. He has a sense of refinement and authenticity to his wines now with thrilling fruit and also a super classic expression of St. Joseph. But there is also an extraordinary density to these. You open one up and you know it will be good but not THAT good. It’s that type of wine. For those not into just labels and you really want quality Sylvain Gauthier is the guy to go to. It has the elegance and classicism of a Gonon, the luxurious texture of an Allemand on a smaller scale and the density and structure of a Gripa. But it’s all Gauthier. And they age as well as anybody. The 2013 St. Joseph is still going strong.
The first wine is the 2022 Domaine Des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Rouge for $31.99 a bottle on a 4 pack purchase. This is such a good deal I cannot even describe it. This is really where my direct to consumer model pays off. Young improving grower, great vintage and direct to consumer prices. This is easily worth $45+ a bottle. It is stunning in 2022.I was taken aback how great a wine this inexpensive can be. The style here is classic and is so similar in style to Gonon. I know I’ve compared many producers to Gonon but that is in terms of quality. Today it is in terms of style, although the quality is through the roof obviously as well. When I say classic I mean this is authentic as it gets with a structure that demands 2-3 years of aging in big vintages like 2020 but in 21 it can be opened now and be enjoyed now but 2-5 years this will slay. It is something that will improve for 10+ years after that. And this has an elegant density. It’s amazing how dense yet refined Sylvain’s 22’s are. They are refined but also dense. As he is such a good winemaker now that all his wines are refined.
Nose of olives, graphite and granite. Deep black olive tapenade and tons of berries. Black berries and wild berries. Stunning nose, blackberries and florals, hint of honey and loads of granite. Black and green olive. Almost a tapenade. Super floral. Just a stunning stunning nose. Truly wow After air this gets super super floral and shows such startlingly pure fruit.
On the palate, huge power, depth and concentration and big, but ripe and substantial tannins. But of all the normal St. Jos I sell, this one benefits the most from age. 3-4 years this is what one wants to be drinking. Palate has terrific energy and precision. Big structure but sappy and insane freshness and acidity. Perfect balance and outrageous freshness. Really long and showing wonderful complexity. Really young with such fine tannins. So well knit and integrated as it airs. The first sip is a bruiser then it gets all elegant and fine. Tangy as well on the finish. A great wine.
The finish has ripe, toothsome tannins and a lovely granitic minerality. Terrific long finish with just amazing persistence.
This is a baby now. It has uncanny freshness and depth and is just so pure and long. I cannot believe how well made this wine is. Truly an accomplishment – the more it opened the more it resembled a junior Gonon. I tasted at Gonon a few days before I tasted the 18s and I cannot even describe how similar these wines are. Utterly classic and so traditional. Such classic unfettered St. Jo.
Next up I have the latest vintage of the 2022 Domaine des Pierres Seches St. Joseph Blanc, ($31.99 each on 4) which is 100% Roussanne, and as many of you know this is a category I have been screaming about from the rooftops as it is neglected category and offers a great alternative to white burg and Riesling.
The aromas are nuts and it starts with anise, herbs, custard even fresh baked bread, granite and is very wafting. So mineral as well and faint older wood aromas as this is in 5-6 year old barrels. Opulent nose though with air offering guava, pineapple, tropical but with a serious granite underpinning. Nose is refined and has terrific clarity of fruit. Some woodshop shavings. So complex and almost ethereal. Terrific spices. Wow nose.
The palate is insane and I’ll use that word over and over again because that is 22 Northern Rhone whites. It has incredible richness, flavors of honeysuckle, peach, pineapple, apricot, yet all on a background of granitic minerality and killer 22 Northern Europe acids. It is so ridiculously complex. There are nutty and herbal elements that give to terrific impression of freshness and depth. Really, really terrific freshness to this wine. It’s floral, funky and so mineral on the finish. If there is one thing in 22 the wines all taste fresh yet still have the nuclear levels of fruit which is what 22 will go down in history for. This has a finish that does not quit. Just goes on and on and on. Waves into and becomes a part of your palate. It’s a genius wine. It will drink well over the next 10 years.
The 2022 St. Joseph Blanc is also from the steep craggy cliffs of St. Epine and also contains a considerable amount of old vines. White St. Epine is very rare. This is more by the river and gets more breezy and it not in St. Epine proper. Not much but a bit more and a little wind can change things for the better. 2022 for Northern Rhone whites takes the best attributes of ’15 (richness, power, concentration) and of ’16 (acid, freshness and finesse) and adds some of the dramatic length and depth of ’13. I might like 22 the best of the 4 vintages as they are just unreal wines with tension, purity, richness and depth.
“All Roussanne fermented and aged 10 months in oak, the 2019 Saint Joseph Blanc is brilliant and reminds me of a great Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc. Honeyed citrus, quince, ripe pineapple, toasted spice, and ample minerality define this beauty, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a ripe, layered texture, remarkable purity, and a great finish. It’s just another head-turning good wine from this estate that readers need to take note of.” – 93 points, Jeb Dunnuck (2019)
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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I am big into certain social media and I want people to take pictures of the wines they have received or will receive and tag me in them and share their thoughts. I a am on Instagram. Please tag me there. I also am on Delectable which I love a lot. It is Iphone/Ipad only, but it’s like Instagram meets Facebook for wine. Tag me there and find me there as well. I want to know if you liked the wine, were not moved by the wine, hated the wine or the wine gave you a religious experience. I want to know it all. Feedback is key and I will answer all feedback e-mails as quickly as I can.
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