Domaine des Pierres Sèches Aubert Syrah Saint-Joseph 2018

Domaine des Pierres Sèches is a micro-Domaine that was started in 2007 by winemaker Sylvain Gauthier. He is originally from northern France and studied winemaking in Beaune. After his studies he secured a post with Michel Chapoutier, then another with Stéphane Robert in Saint-Peray (two great producers of Syrah from the region). He eventually decided that Saint-Joseph was where he would stake a claim of his own. Sylvain produces wines with a serious soul that are intensely flavored yet effortlessly elegant. And he is now one of our new favorite producers coming from the Saint-Joseph appellation. The "Aubert" bottling is 100% Syrah coming from the lieu-dit of Aubert located in Saint-Jean de Muzols, one of the original three communes selected for the Saint-Joseph appellation in 1956. The vineyards here are on average 80 years in age and have been planted since World War I. This is a complex, vibrantly flavored and energetically spiced wine. The wine has notes of incense, olive, crushed stones, red and black fruits, and peppery spice. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, this wine would be a sensational addition to your cellar, if you can resist drinking it today.