Saint-Joseph 2019: Report and top scoring wines
Matt Walls says that although overripeness and high alcohol are recurring themes for 2019, there were some exceptional Saint-Joseph wines produced where winemakers found a sense of balance.
Tasting the wines of this 50km-long appellation really underlined the difference in style and quality between the northern and southern poles of the Northern Rhône this year.
Scroll down to see Matt’s top Saint-Joseph 2019 tasting notes and scores
Those from around Chavanay, towards Côte-Rôtie, benefitted from the extra rainfall, and here it’s a lovely vintage. Further south, towards Cornas, the wines are often heavier.
Jean Gonon says that ‘it rained at strategic moments, not much, but just about enough,’ leading to a vintage that’s ‘dense, but not unbalanced.’ Despite the parched conditions, he still managed yields of 37hl/ha. He prefers his 2018s, an excellent vintage for Domaine Gonon, which are more elegant in style.
The reds are often rich, lush and concentrated; overripeness and high alcohol is a recurring theme, but there are nonetheless some exceptional wines produced when winemakers have found a sense of balance.
One effective method to build freshness in the wines is using stems, an increasingly popular approach and a positive development.
Whites are big, rich and round, and will be best drunk young.
Quick links Northern Rhone
Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines: coming soon
Key producers in 2019
E. Guigal
Domaine Gonon
Domaine Guy Farge
Domaine J.L. Chave
M. Chapoutier
Pierre Gaillard
Vignobles Chirat
Value picks
Domaine Aléofane Saint-Joseph rouge 2019
Catherine et Pascal Jamet Saint-Joseph rouge ‘Vignoble de la Tour d’Arras’ 2019
Domaine François Merlin Saint-Joseph blanc 2019
Jeanne Gaillard Saint-Joseph rouge ‘La Relève’ 2019
Lionel Faury Saint-Joseph rouge ‘Hedonism’ 2019
Domaine de Monteillet Saint-Joseph blanc 2019
See Matt’s top Saint-Joseph 2019 tasting notes and scores
See also
Rhône 2019 En Primeur: Full report plus top scoring winesNorthern Rhône 2019 report plus top scoring winesSouthern Rhône 2019 report plus top scoring wines
Domaine Gonon, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Deeply aromatic with violets and Kalamata olives, it's wildly resinous with a touch of black cherry. Medium- to full-bodied, it's more concentrated and fresher than...
2019
Domaine GononSt-Joseph
Domaine JL Chave, Clos Florentin, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Nine barriques made from Le Clos this year, and the style is supple, round and approachable. Open and appealing at this stage, with violets, some...
2019
Domaine JL ChaveSt-Joseph
E Guigal, Vignes de l'Hospice, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Very ripe, vibrant berry fruit to the fore with good blend between the fruit and oak and a little fresh kick on the finish. No...
2019
E GuigalSt-Joseph
Domaine Guy Farge, Côte du Poulay, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
A great sense of purity and energy here - good intensity without heaviness. Graphite to the blackberry aromas, and a gentle, fine-sand tannic texture. It's...
2019
Domaine Guy FargeSt-Joseph
Domaine JL Chave, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
A tasting of barrels samples of various lieux-dits: Les Dardouille, Le Clos, Les Challaix, Bachasson (both higher and lower sites). The overall impression is a...
2019
Domaine JL ChaveSt-Joseph
Lionel Faury, La Gloriette, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
A lovely freshness, teamed with deep concentration and saltiness. Grippy, succulent and expressive fruit, sweet tannins and enough acidity to balance. Best vintage in a...
2019
Lionel FaurySt-Joseph
Pierre Gaillard, Clos de Cuminaille, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Beautiful combination of fresh blackberry, bacon fat and cinnamon spice. This is rounded, concentrated and elegant on the palate. No excess weight or alcohol, lovely...
2019
Pierre GaillardSt-Joseph
Domaine Coursodon, Paradis Saint Pierre, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
A little crème pâtissière here, this is soft and rounded with sweet pear and apple compote fruit. There's a little noble bitter twang on the...
2019
Domaine CoursodonSt-Joseph
Domaine François Merlin, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Curious little struck-flint note on the nose, also gently hoppy. Full-bodied with very good freshness and acidity for the vintage (though the wine does go...
2019
Domaine François MerlinSt-Joseph
Domaine de Monteillet, Cuvée du Papy, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Dark plums, sloes and gentle balsamic fruit, this is tangy, deep, driving and textural. Savoury on the palate, dense and dry with good acidity and...
2019
Domaine de MonteilletSt-Joseph
Domaine Gonon, Les Oliviers, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Rich yellow in colour, slightly honeyed, very high in alcohol, very rich in body and puppy fat. There's a little honeysuckle on the nose. Low...
2019
Domaine GononSt-Joseph
E Guigal, Le Lieu-dit, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
An exuberantly oaky nose and rich on the palate, plenty of oak spice, cashew and touch of peach skin with a lovely dry extract and...
2019
E GuigalSt-Joseph
Domaine Guy Farge, Passion de Terrasses, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Wow, what a nose! This is a deeply resinous and spicy expression of Saint-Joseph. Very concentrated, quite low in acidity. There's a slight grape-pip bitterness,...
2019
Domaine Guy FargeSt-Joseph
M Chapoutier, Les Granits, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Lieu-dit Saint-Joseph. Deep straw colour. Very full-bodied indeed, very opulent in body for Saint-Joseph. Good acidity however, remarkably powerful. Dense and fulsome, very delicious, this...
2019
M ChapoutierSt-Joseph
Vignobles Chirat, Les Côtes, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Exotic and richly fruited, pear and mango. Very rounded, full-bodied, but enough acidity to keep it upright. Deeply textural with freshness and good concentration. The...
2019
Vignobles ChiratSt-Joseph
Lionel Faury, Hedonism, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Intense, high-toned, graphite aromas. Medium-bodied, all very ripe but has a good sense of straightness even if the acidity is on the low side. Good...
2019
Lionel FaurySt-Joseph
M Chapoutier, Les Granits, St-Joseph, Rhône, France, 2019
Gravelly blackberry, very rich and flowing on the palate, intensely concentrated and dense with a salty finish. A huge vintage for Les Granits which will...
2019
M ChapoutierSt-Joseph
