2018 St Joseph le Paradis St Pierre

Lastly, the 2018 Saint Joseph Paradis Saint Pierre is the old vine cuvée from pure granite soils brought up mostly in tank. A more old school style effort, it has a killer nose of black fruits, ground pepper, rare meat, gunflint, and chocolate. Stunning stuff, it's full-bodied, concentrated, mineral-laced, and powerful, all while staying light on its feet and beautifully balanced. Don't miss it! Bottles need 3-5 years in a cold cellar, and it's going to keep for 15+.

Opaque ruby. Expressive, spice- and smoke-accented aromas of ripe black and blue fruits, pungent flowers and olive, along with a licorice note that emerges as the wine opens up. Deeply concentrated cassis, blueberry, violet pastille and cola flavors show superb depth and energy as well, thanks to a spine of smoky minerality. Finishes spicy, broad and impressively long, with steadily building tannins and lingering florality.

Half of the 2018 Saint Joseph le Paradis Saint Pierre was fermented as whole clusters, and there's a distinct minty, stemmy character there if you look for it, but there's also plenty of black cherry, espresso, black olive, dark chocolate and black licorice to provide balance and richness. Full-bodied and velvety on the palate, it finishes long and savory. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.