2021 St Joseph Le Clos
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Saint-Joseph Le Clos comes from an east-facing parcel Michel purchased in the early 1990s at the urging of his grandfather, who told him it produced the finest wine of the appellation before World War II. Planted in the late 1990s, it has yielded a 2021 redolent with scents of menthol, cedar and mixed red and black cherries. Only medium-bodied, it seems less expansive on the palate than the les Granites bottling, but perhaps it's a bit more structured and firmer yet still silky and harmonious.
Critic scores
Average Score
Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Saint Joseph Le Clos is another elegant, pretty, nicely balanced wine in the vintage. It's similar in quality compared to the Granits, but it has a much more focused, mineral-laced style in its cassis, graphite, gunpowder, and sappy flower-like aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied and ripe, with both ripe tannins and integrated acidity, this beauty deserves 2-4 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly over the following decade or more. This was another fabulous tasting with Michel Chapoutier and his team, and it continues to be one of the highlight tastings I do in a year. The portfolio is massive, so there’s certainly something in here for everyone. Looking at the 2021s, I was able to retaste a handful of the flagship whites, and these appear to have shut down slightly. I wouldn’t touch bottles for another 3-5 years. The reds are leaner and focused, but balanced, and certainly impeccably made. However, the 2022s continue to trend here, starting around 2017 or 2018, toward fresher, lighter wines, both with the reds and whites. In addition, they’re all experimenting with whole cluster fermentations, which works beautifully in the wines I was able to taste.
The 2021 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is going through a fairly reductive stage. Time in the glass gradually unlocks shy red fruits, earthy gradations and floral undertones. Round and refreshing, the 2021 delivers good flavor concentration and culminates in a finish of passable length.
Cask sample. A little reductive – dark and brooding. The palate is juicy with firm, but fine, tannins. Very smoky – bonfire and peaty smoke. Beneath, there is pepper, olive and tapenade lurking. Very tight and needs a lot of time to absorb those tannins. (AC)