Medium to full, fresh and mineral, finer-boned than Hermitage
Ageing
5–15 years
Serving
16–17 °C
A long ribbon of steep granite slopes along the right bank of the Rhône, Saint-Joseph makes a fresher, finer-boned Syrah than its powerful neighbours Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. At its best — from the historic terraced core around Tournon — it is fragrant, peppery and mineral, with real elegance and the capacity to age.
The appellation stretches long and its lesser flatland sites make simpler wine, but its granite heart is one of the northern Rhône's great values. A dash of white Roussanne or Marsanne may be blended in.