Saint-Joseph Esprit de Granit Selection Parcellaire 2015, Cave de Tain

When you consider the price and quality of top Northern Rhone reds in the superlative 2015 vintage this wine must come close to top of the table for its price to quality ratio.

Lovely dense fruit with fine grained, minerally tannins.

Great to drink now if decanted 2 hours before serving, or keep 5 – 8 years for further improvement.

Vineyards are situated on the right bank of the valley in the Northern Rhône and arranged in terraces on granite soil. Vine roots push deeper into granitic soil and this results in the characteristic freshness and balance. Selected parcels of old vines (35 years on average) and the best hillside sites are harvested by hand and vinified separately. Traditional maceration in concrete vats with regular remontage and gentle pigeage is followed by regular tasting to determine when to rack into barrels for the malolactic fermentation. Matured for 15 months in 400l barrels (both new and 2nd fill) before an uncompromising ‘assemblage’ of the final “Esprit de Granit”.