Delas Frères St. Joseph Sainte-Épine
Rhône, France
Vintage:2022 (Current)
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Reviews
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
All destemmed and raised in barrel with 20% new, the 2022 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine comes from a cooler, decomposed granite terroir just north of Tournon. It offers pure cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as spicy oak, crushed stone, and dried flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, concentrated, has perfect balance, fine tannins, and a great finish. It's a brilliant example of the vintage and will keep for 15+ years. Drink 2025-2040.
The Wine Advocate 95 Points
The 2022 Saint-Joseph Sainte-Epine is a real success at this address. It is crafted from vines planted on granite soils facing southwest in the commune of Saint-Jean de Muzols. This location is cooler than other plots in the same commune due to its proximity to the Doux River, which enhances the grapes’ ability to maintain freshness and balance. Revealing a complex, fresh and redolent bouquet of licorice, dark berries, dark cherries and flowers, despite the presence of oak, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and structured, complemented by a fleshy core of fruit, satiny tannins and a long, ethereal and telluric finish. It will age very nicely.
Decanter 92 Points
Highly spiced, nutmeg and cinnamon nose. Fairly full-bodied, this is a sweetly ripe and oak-driven style. It’s powerful, with serious drive and quite potent alcohol. A bit of a beast! It should have the concentration and freshness to sustain the wine for long enough to swallow the new oak. For those that like an oaky style, this is a very good example. It’s not overly drying on the finish, and the fruit is strong and pure. From the lieu-dit St-Epine in St-Jean-de-Muzols in the heart of the appellation. Aged half in new, half in one-year-old barrels. Certified Haute Valeur Environnementale.
Wine Spectator 94 Points
A big-shouldered red, with power in reserve. Juicy plum, ripe blackberry and toasted apple wood notes are bound up with fairly muscular tannins. Smoky and sultry, with singed anise, cinnamon and garrigue adding beautiful complexity. Iron minerality holds the finish. Give this time to unwind. Best from 2026 through 2032.
Overview
This wine was reputed in the 16th century for its delicacy, and was poured at the table of the kings of France. It was the Jesuits of Tournon who gave the area its current name in the 17th century. Between 1956 and 1969, all the vineyards from this area which used to be named Côtes du Rhône were regrouped and established under the appellation Saint-Joseph.
Almost a micro-appellation, the south-facing Sainte-Épine hill is an exception. It was once the home to the Commanderie de Sainte-Épine-Lès-Tournon which belonged to the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. The Sainte-Épine plot, covering around 2.5 acres in the commune of Saint-Jean de Muzols in the heart of the appellation, has soils of decomposed granite soil resembling that of the Hermitage hill's Les Bessards with the addition of metamorphic schist. There is only one team allowed to pick the grapes in this vineyard: the Delas team. Sainte-Épine's terroir and exposure are among the most coveted in the appellation.
This cuvée is a vineyard plot selection only made in the very best years and production is deliberately limited to 4,000 bottles per year.
Winemaking
The Sainte-Épine grapes are harvested by hand, at optimum maturity. Fermentation takes place in traditional, open-topped concrete tanks, after three days of pre-fermentary skin contact at cool temperatures. Maceration continues at controlled temperatures of 82°F to 86°F. Daily cap pressing and pumping takes place for about 10 days, with a total maceration period of up to 20 days. The wine is aged for 14 to 18 months in oak barrels in one half new, one half one-year-old barrels. The barrels are topped up regularly.
Tasting Notes
The wine has a signature style similar to that of Les Bessards. It contains the vigor of the granite and the "edge" of the schist softened by the suppleness of the deeper, more aerated soils. Its aging in Burgundy barrels polish it to a pebble-like smoothness, giving the wine a caressing mouthfeel. Meaty and mineral, Sainte-Épine is a top-flight Saint-Joseph. Time, once again, will give it its "thickness".
The wine has a deep ruby color with purple tinges. Its nose shows aromas of blackberries and spices, lifted by some mineral and gently wooded notes. Well concentrated, this has pure flavors that come to the palate in successive layers of varying aromas, all of equal intensity.
Food Pairing
This wine pairs well with game, marinated beef in sauce, grilled food, green peppers and any kind of cheese.
Technical Information
Varietals: 100% Syrah