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  • Côtes de Provence Revelation: The Cool Streak of Clos Saint-Joseph

    Côtes de Provence Revelation: The Cool Streak of Clos Saint-Joseph

    The Côtes de Provence appellation is vast. Finding small slices of unique terroir where artisanal domaines reside has been a career-long journey for importer Kermit Lynch. Decades ago it was names like Tempier and Trévallon. Now, it is Clos Saint-Joseph.

    Today, I'm happy to offer Domaine Clos Saint-Joseph's Cuvée Syrah from the exceptional 2016 Provence vintage.

    30 minutes north of Nice is where you'll find the village of Villars-sur-Var, nestled high in these limestone hills just before the Alps. Here, Roch Sassi farms his 5 hectares with extreme care (organic with biodynamic principles followed). The big diversion from what the larger Provence region produces comes from the combination of these rocky, depleted limestone soils, the abundant sunshine, and the cold air howling down from the mountains. That's why tasting Cuvée Syrah you may feel whisked away to the northern Rhone. But, alas, the elegance endowed by these limestone soils is a different beast entirely.

    Of all the vintages to debut, the 2016 is simply a perfect storm. Showcased is that magic combo of high ripeness and concentration, met with superb freshness. For my palate, everything points to this as the strongest vintage from Provence and the southern Rhone since 2010.

    Cuvée Syrah is what really got me to stop in my tracks. 98% Syrah supplemented by a little Cabernet Sauvignon. This holds so much kinship to favorite Syrahs of the N. Rhone, but again, the interpretation through limestone (as opposed to granite and schist) finds a way of sharpening the focus and adding a finely-woven texture that still delivers massive concentration of fruit. A jewel in its construction and reflection of terroir. Aged exclusively in larger demi-muids.
    Posted by Alexander Rosen

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