2012 St Joseph Lieu Dit St Joseph
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Tasting notes
Bright purple. Potent scents of black raspberry and boysenberry, with notes of smoky herbs and violet pastille adding complexity. Pliant dark berry and bitter cherry flavors show excellent concentration, picking up spiciness and a hint of florality with air. Plenty rich but the impression I get here is more about vivacity. Finishes with nervy mineral cut, slow-building tannins and very persistent sweetness.
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Josh Raynolds
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Showing even better from bottle than barrel, the 2012 Saint Joseph Lieu Dit Saint Joseph (which comes from the southern part of the appellation, from the vineyard that the region is named after), has a smoking bouquet of cassis, black cherry, leather, ground pepper and mint. Medium to full-bodied, with stunning purity of fruit, good acidity and fine tannin, it excels on its balance and elegance more so than its power and richness. It should represent a terrific value and have another decade of longevity.
Inky purple. Highly perfumed scents of red and dark berries, smoky minerals and fresh flowers. Spicy, penetrating black raspberry and cassis flavors show real density, with zesty minerality providing verve. Turns sweeter on the silky, clinging finish, which features fine-grained tannins and an echo of candied violet.