2016 St Joseph Le Clos

Crème de cassis, graphite, gunpowder, lavender, and obvious crushed rock notes all emerge from the 2016 Saint Joseph Le Clos, which is the unquestionably one of the finest wines in the appellation. Coming from a higher elevation, east-facing block, brought up in 30% new barrels, it offers a Hermitage-like stature and level of structure, bright acidity, and a big finish. Young, backward, and in need of 5-7 years of bottle age, it's going to keep for 2+ decades. The estate of firebrand Michel Chapoutier continues to operate on all cylinders, and these latest 2016 and 2017 releases are world class for this address. The 2017 whites show the gradual change toward a more reductive style of winemaking, and the wines at times have an almost Burgundian feel in their minerality, acidity, and texture. Nevertheless, they’re fabulously concentrated and rich and will need 2-4 years of cellaring. The 2016 whites showed beautifully, and I prefer those to the 2017s. The majority of the 2017 reds were tasted as barrel samples. This is a ripe, sexy, expressive vintage for the Northern Rhône, and this shows in the wines. The 2017s don’t appear to have the density of the more blockbuster styled 2015s, yet they have expressive, sunny characters that will deliver loads of charm. The 2016s having slightly more density and cooler-climate styled aromatics, yet are nevertheless some of the richest, sexiest wines in the vintage. In addition to the frightfully expensive top-tier cuvées, don’t miss the value releases from this estate. These wines max out the QPR scale and are great introductions into the wines of Chapoutier as well as the Rhône Valley.

Looking even better than it did last year, now that it's in the bottle, Chapoutier's 2016 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is impressive indeed. Classy notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings are joined by floral hints of violets, plus ripe cassis on the nose. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it comes across as dense yet not heavy (does that make any sense?), finishing with silky tannins and a tremendously long finish. It's a tour de force in Saint-Joseph, nearly equal in quality to Chapoutier's parcel-selection wines from across the river in Hermitage.

Lurid violet. Vibrant and focused on the nose, displaying fresh, mineral-inflected black and blue fruit scents and hints of incense and black cardamom. Shows impressive energy and spicy lift to the sweet boysenberry and black raspberry flavors, which pick up a smoky aspect with air. Displays outstanding clarity and appealing sweetness on the floral-accented finish, which is shaped by silky, even tannins. This is showing more liveliness but marginally less richness than the Les Granits right now.