Saint-Joseph Rouge - Maison Les Alexandrins Saint-Joseph Rouge - Maison Les Alexandrins Macro

Maison Les Alexandrins Saint-Joseph - 2021

Maison Les Alexandrins, a signature modern in approach and contemporary in style. The aim with our Saint-Joseph is to combine a mineral note, characteristic of wines from the Rhône Valley, with a fruity note, typical of the Saint-Joseph appellation. A unique blend, producing a refined wine with powerful tannins.

Description

A partnership between three winegrowers from the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet, Guillaume Sorrel 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 in Saint Jean de Muzols and Tournon.

Terroir

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

The vintage

2021 was a winemaker vintage and required great responsiveness to very variable weather, comforting us in the pursuit of our good work in the vineyard. Winter was mild, followed by spring frosts before a dry mid-spring and then a cool summer with record rainfall. By stripping the leaves at the beginning of July, our grapes remained healthy. The harvest started in good conditions with the whites on September 13th in Brézème (-80% harvest due to frost), followed by Crozes-Hermitage and Condrieu. The summer conditions preserved a rare balance in our region. The Marsanne and Roussanne reveal freshness, minerality and precision, the Viogniers aromas of fresh fruit and a mouth full of finesse. For the reds, the lowland vineyards are full of indulgence with floral aromas and soft tannins. Finally, the granite terroirs reveal notes of pepper and spices and a rich palate.

Location

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.

Process

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 conical vats for 12 months.

Varietal

Syrah : 100%

Tasting

Superb robe of a deep-red almost black, with beautiful shiny reflections. On the nose, this wine reveals typical Syrah aromas with notes of wild berries, blackberries and blackcurrants. On the palate, it prolongs this beautiful aromatic bouquet, while revealing the superb freshness of the 2021 vintage combined with the classic minerality of Saint Joseph. An elegant, well-balanced wine, a magnificent expression of Syrah.

Food pairings

This wine will pair perfectly with grilled meat or in a sauce.

Serving

Serve at 17°C. Drink within 3 years.


Reviews


90/100
"Smooth, juicy and easy-going with ample tannins that give the wine a chewy note on the finish. Sweet oak spice adds some interest and complexity. It finishes quite long, on fruit and spice. Not the most complex, but the quality is good."
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92/100
"Darker berries, violets, Asian spices, and a touch of leather all define the 2021 Saint Joseph, a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, textured 2021 barrel sample revealing ripe, present tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's a heck of a wine in this challenging year."
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