2023 St Joseph

Darker berry fruits, saddle leather, potpourri, and violet notes emerge from the 2023 Saint Joseph, a medium-bodied Saint Joseph with plenty of savory tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and outstanding length. Aged in demi-muids, it's always a wildly complex, exotic, singular wine, and the 2023 looks to be no exception. Founded in 2004 by Natacha Chave and based in Mercurol, Domaine Aléofane farms roughly 8.5 hectares across Crozes-Hermitage and Saint Joseph. The Crozes-Hermitage wines come from clay and rolled pebble soils in the Hauts Châssis (La Roche de Glun) and Malfondières (Mercurol) lieux-dits, with the white made from 60% Marsanne and 40% Roussanne, fermented and aged in a mix of concrete eggs and demi-muids. The red Crozes sees extended maceration and is aged mostly in demi-muids. The Saint Joseph, which comes from vines near Tournon, also sees a long maceration with élevage in both demi-muids and Burgundy barrels. The Cornas is a more recent addition and, as far as I know, is the only wine here fermented with 100% whole clusters. These are always singular, exotic wines, and while in the past they leaned a little too natural for my taste, that's changed in recent vintages. Today, they show beautiful purity without losing their distinctive character.