Paul Jaboulet Aîné Saint Joseph La Croix des Vignes 2021
A complex bouquet revealing black fruit aromas complemented by delicate spicy, toasty notes. Smooth and generous, the finish is carried by lovely, well-integrated notes of ageing.
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 a favourite on the French King's table. It was then known under the name of ‘vin de Mauves’ a local village that has its name from the colour ‘mauve’, purple in French. The monks in Tournon sur Rhône gave the wine its current name in the 18th Century. In the 20th century, the winemakers formed a union to protect the Saint-Joseph name and in 1956, the Saint-Joseph appellation became official. The vineyard sits at 250 metres elevation on steep slops with an average gradient of 45%. The 8-hectare plot was planted in 1998, and the vines thrive in granite soils which have degraded to ‘gore’, with bedrock outcrops in many parts of the vineyard. The vines are Gobelet trained on stakes with a south to south-westerly exposure and yield between 25 to 35 hl/ha. The entire vineyard is certified organic and cultivated with respect for the soil and the living ecosystem. Viticulture is viewed as a long-term endeavour; a continuous quest aimed at regenerating the environmental sphere, thus providing the means for terroir-driven fine wines to shine.
Manually harvested, the fruit was sorted by plot and taken to the winery in 12kg crates. Traditional vinification took place with 100% destemming and three weeks maceration with daily pump-overs. The wine went through malolactic conversion and was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels of which 15% were new and concrete eggs.
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.
