2014 St Joseph Deschants

(aged entirely in concrete tanks): Glass-staining ruby. Powerful, smoke- and spice-accented blueberry and cherry compote scents show good focus and pick up a peppery nuance as the wine opens up. Smooth, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering juicy cherry cola and licorice pastille flavors and a hint of espresso. The smoky note comes back on a long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind a subtly sweet dark fruit liqueur note.

Showing more vibrancy and tension than the Crozes Hermitage releases, the 2014 Saint Joseph Deschants comes all from granitic soils and was raised mostly in concrete tanks. It’s medium-bodied, fresh and lively, with bright acidity giving lift to notions of white pepper, spring flowers, mint, and both blackberry and raspberry fruits. It will drink nicely on release and last for 5-7 years.

The 2014 reds are perfect restaurant wines and they have approachable, pure characters that make them already impossible to resist. A good example is the 2014 St Joseph Deschants, which is a charming, granite-influenced beauty that offers lots of blackberry, black raspberry and pepper in a medium-bodied, supple and elegant style. Dec 2016, www.robertparker.com