2016 St Joseph Les Roches Vieilles Vignes

100% Syrah, including Sérine (Syrah 60 years old and Sérine over 100 years old). 66% destemmed. Terroir: La Madonne sur Chavanay, Coteaux Vitrine sur Saint-Pierre de Bœuf, Sainte-Epine sur Saint-Jean de Muzols, Les Oliviers sur Mauve. Ageing: 12 months in new and one-year-old oak plus 8 months in foudre (Tronçais – Allier). Very ripe and sweet – almost too much so. I miss the salty savour of most northern Rhône wines but perhaps I am looking a gift horse of ripeness in the mouth. Floral notes – most unusual. Perhaps those are the Sérine? This almost seems a curiosity. It’s certainly not classic St-Jospeh, though it does finish very neatly on a savoury note. Very transparent – almost filigree. This could almost be a (caricature of a) Lafarge Volnay … (JR)