Maison Les Alexandrins Saint-Joseph Rouge - 2024

A partnership between two winegrowers from the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet and Alexandre Caso – Maison les Alexandrins produces northern wines in a style at once contemporary and timeless, always from exceptional vineyards unearthed by Alexandre Caso, a specialist in the terroirs of the northern Rhône Valley. Classics with a twist, these wines and how they are aged and blended are guided by the quest for perfect harmony from a very young age. Our vines are located nearby the village of Tournon.

The Saint-Joseph vines wind along the Rhône. They are planted on slopes covered in granite (decomposed in parts) facing east/south-east.

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.

The Saint-Joseph vineyard stretches 40 km along the right bank of the Rhône on the 45th parallel, planted on steep slopes that were first terraced in Roman times. Once called “Vin de Mauves”, Jesuits in the 17th century gave it its current name. It achieved AOC status in 1956. At that time, it spilled into six villages (90 hectares). It was restructured in 1994 and now embraces 26 villages, covering an area of 1,330 hectares. The vineyard winds from Chavanay to Guilherand, connecting Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie in the north with Saint-Péray and Cornas in the south. Nowadays, the appellation is known for its red wines made from Syrah – simultaneously powerful and elegant – and, on a smaller scale, for its whites made from Roussanne and/or Marsanne grapes.

This wine is produced each year upholding a style in which the granite terroir that brings mineral notes has to blend with the classic black fruit notes of the Saint-Joseph appellation.
- Maceration and fermentation for about 20 days with pumping over for the first few days and then punching down towards the end.
- Ageing in barrels for a period of 12 months.