Jean-Francois Jacouton Pierres d'Iserand Saint-Joseph 2020

While the Jean-Francois Jacouton Domaine is young relative to other French wine producers (established in 2010), the viticultural heritage of the Jacouton family extends across multiple generations.  Before Jean-Francois created his label as an adult, he spent his childhood tending to his family’s vineyard holdings in the lieu-dit of Saine-Épine alongside his grandfather.  The musings shared by his grandfather during their time in the vineyards would prove invaluable when Jean-Francois took the reins of the family business in 2003.  

Jean-Francois is a farmer at heart and spends most of his time among the vines and in his stone fruit orchards.  His philosophy on land stewardship focuses on thoughtful, sustainable practices to enhance soil health and promote a beneficial micr0-biosphere.  Jean-Francois tends to his vines by hand or by literal horsepower due to the steep slopes where they lie grow do not allow for machinery to pass through.  These steep slopes and the densely packed granite soil are hallmarks of the Saint-Joseph terroir.  Both conditions force the grapevines to dig deeply into the Earth as they compete with weeds and cover crops for stability, nutrients, and water.  The deeply rooted vines produce fewer clusters of concentrated fruit with more even ripening.

While wines from Saint-Joseph can be red or white, 90% of the wines made in the region are red, and predominantly Syrah as regulations require at least 90% Syrah to receive the designation.  The Pierres d’Iserand bottling blends old-vine Syrah from three lieux-dits in Saint-Joseph.  Jean-Francois employs multiple aging vessel types, including neutral oak foudres, cement, and clay amphora.  Aromas remind us of spiced plum tarts, dried thyme, and wild raspberries.  The palate opens with refreshing acidity, highlighting black cherry and dried cranberry notes with savory touches of bacon and olive tapenade.  Chewy tannins spread across the palate with a soft yet lingering finish.