Domaine les Alexandrins - The Expression of the Rhône Valley Terroir. Made from old vines, our Saint-Joseph is a powerful and complex wine, vinified using methods that faithfully uphold local traditions.
Presentation
Description
A partnership between two winegrowers in the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet and Alexandre Caso – Domaine les Alexandrins crafts wines in the purest tradition of the Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph appellations. They are made from exceptional terroirs, ensuring the very finest expression of the appellation. Our four-hectare Saint-Joseph vineyard is located in Tournon-sur-Rhône. The average age of the vines is 25 years. It enjoys a superb east/south-east exposure.
Terroir
Granite soil, interspersed with pebbles. The vines are tended in a traditional way, using methods that respect the terroir, thereby encouraging biodiversity and drawing out the very best from the grapes.
The vintage
After 2023 which was full of contrasts, 2024 was once again a year marked by considerable challenges, requiring great composure and the benefit of experience to face the temperamental climate. After a mild winter, April was marked by frost, followed by intense rain throughout the spring and early summer until mid-July, followed by drought in August. These conditions were particularly testing for us: the fight against mildew, especially with its impact on the inflorescences, required constant attention. The harvest thus began around September 10th, requiring daily adjustments to the heterogeneity of the grape maturity. We had to taste and analyse the berries every day and the weather determined strategic choices and we had to constantly change the harvest schedule to harvest each plot at its optimal maturity. A painstaking work that was worth it, with a decisive impact on the quality and style of the vintage. Despite all these difficulties, the final quality of the grapes offers some great surprises. The first tastings are very promising with crisp and delicious reds and beautiful whites with melted acidity and a beautiful structure on the palate. The devatting has started and the ageing period that follows will allow our wines to improve and gain complexity.
Location
An Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône Valley since 1956, the Saint-Joseph vineyard extends along the right bank of the Rhône, on the 45th parallel. The vines are planted on steep hillside terraces dating back to Antiquity. Once called “Vin de Mauves”, it was given its current name by Jesuits in the 17th century.
Process
- Harvested by hand.
- Traditional vinification.
- 70% destemmed.
- 3-day cold maceration.
- Punching down and pumping over in alternation to break down and push in the pomace cap and draw out the aromas and tannins.
- Barrel fermentation for 20 days.
- Aged for 15 months in 2-year-old demi-muids (60-litre capacity barrels).
- Traditional vinification.
- 70% destemmed.
- 3-day cold maceration.
- Punching down and pumping over in alternation to break down and push in the pomace cap and draw out the aromas and tannins.
- Barrel fermentation for 20 days.
- Aged for 15 months in 2-year-old demi-muids (60-litre capacity barrels).
Varietal
Syrah
Advice
Tasting
Seductive colour of a deep, almost black red with shiny reflections. Complex, the nose presents a magnificent aromatic bouquet with notes of wild fruit, grilled bacon, and warm stones, typical of its terroir. Racy, smooth, and powerful, the palate offers finely chiseled tannins, with a long finish revealing a perfect balance between the richness of black fruit and a beautiful mineral freshness, the signature of this granitic terroir. A superb vintage for this particularly elegant and distinguished wine.
Food pairings
Game that is grilled or in a sauce.
Serving
Serve between 16°C and 18°C. Right now: powerful and full-bodied. Cellaring time: ideally, 7 years to give the tannins time to relax and the aromatic palette to grow in complexity.
