Paul Jaboulet Aîné Le Grand Pompée Saint Joseph Blanc 2023
A beautifully balanced wine, with a creamy texture and expressive aromas of ripe pear and pineapple layered with light buttery notes and a fresh, saline finish.
The Saint-Joseph vineyard sits upon the 45th parallel, planted on steep hillsides on the right bank of the River Rhône, that have been carved into terraces since ancient times. It was formerly known as ‘Vin de Mauves’, but the Jesuits gave it its current name in the 17th century. In the 20th century, the winemakers formed a union to protect the SaintJoseph name and in 1956, the Saint-Joesph appellation became official. The name of this Saint-Joseph cuvée comes from the Victor Hugo’s novel ‘Légende des Siècles’. In the 9th century, the Grand Pompée, faithful companion to Charlemagne, fought at his side against the Moors, on the right bank of the Rhône. A famous line remains from this battle: ‘And wine, that wine beloved of the Grand Pompée’. The vineyard parcels are on very steep slopes with south to south-eastern orientation where the light soils comprise schist and gneiss resting on a granite base. The vines are between 10 to 30 years old and yield 35hl/ha.
The grapes were hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and fermented at low temperatures with selected yeast in stainless steel tanks, concrete eggs and partially in French oak barrels. The wine was aged on fine lees for eight months in concrete eggs, French oak barrels and stainless-steel tanks.
Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in 1834 and cultivates the iconic terroirs form the northern Rhône Valley across seven appellations. Family owned by the Frey family since 2006, talented winemaker Caroline Frey and her team implement heroic viticulture techniques on the unique, heritage landscapes. Following a long tradition in preserving and working the land, the Frey family are pioneers in biodiversity, with a ninehectare wildlife reserve and ecosystem preservation efforts. Since 2016, the vineyards have been certified AB organic and since 2021 the entire vineyard has been cultivated biodynamically and with a regenerative approach. The variety of soils and multitude of terroirs shape the distinctive character of their wines. Caroline is dedicated to crafting exceptional wines following a philosophy that when the grape varieties are in perfect harmony with the terroir, they reveal their finest expression. These are exquisite wines which beautifully reflect the nuances of their origins.
