Vidal-Fleury Saint-Joseph 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Saint Joseph appears to be a rounded, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced effort that has textbook minerality as well as blue fruits, peppery herbs and violet notes. My money is on it being an outstanding wine and it should easily evolve for 7-8 years or more. Range: 90-92
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aged entirely in foudres, the 2018 Saint Joseph is a fine effort. Scents of crushed stone, blueberries and blackberries appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plump and immediately appealing, and the finish surprises for its intensity and length.
Vidal Fleury was founded in 1781 as a wine grower and proprietor of vineyards in the Cote Rotie. With more than two centuries of continuous operation, it's undisputedly the oldest functioning winery and wine firm in the Rhone Valley.
Founder Joseph Vidal strove to produce wines that expressed the typicity of the various soils and to achieve the highest degree of quality possible. True to the founder's goals. the winery continues to produce wines that are the finest expression of their appelation. Today Vidal Fleury offers a comprehensive range of red, white and rose wines from the Rhone Valley. Recognizing the enormous potential of Vidal Fleury and the value of its brand, the successful Rhone winemaker Marcel Guigal bought the company in 1986. Modern equipment in a spotless environment is used to implement the traditional methods in winemaking.
All red wines and selected white wines are matured adn aged in oak barrels and casks. Selected cuvees are aged in new oak for part or all of the maturation process.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Spanning the longest stretch of river in the northern Rhône—from Condrieu in the north, to Cornas in the south—the heart of St.-Joseph lies directly across the Rhône River from Hermitage. While its soils are basically the same as Hermitage: granite, supplemented by sand and gravel, its east facing slope receives less sunlight than Hermitage, which causes less overall berry ripening on its Syrah vines. However, some of the best of them can rival any fine expression of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie or Cornas with concentrated black fruits, dark spices, crushed rock and violets. A general advantage of the region is that its Syrahs typically don’t need as much time in the bottle compared to a Cote-Rotie or Hermitage and are much easier on the bank account!
A textbook St.-Joseph red is firm with a core of minerality that is enhanced by savory and peppery qualities. Aromas and flavors of smoke, olives, herbs, and violets are common; its wines are dense in red and black fruit.
St.-Joseph is also a source of fine northern Rhône white wine. Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne grow well here and can be blended or made into single varietal wines. St.-Joseph whites are full and silky with citrus, pear and pineapple flavors and a rich bouquet reminiscent of honeysuckle, toasted nuts, spice and caramel.