2021 Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Rouge

Pierre Gaillard is a name that carries serious weight in the Northern Rhone – one of the old hands who helped shape modern Saint-Joseph. He began his career working alongside Guigal before branching out on his own in the early 1980s, and he’s been fine-tuning his approach to Syrah ever since.

This 2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge comes from steep, rocky vineyards on the western slopes of the Rhone – classic Saint-Jo terrain. Gaillard farms sustainably and harvests by hand, then ferments in open wood vats with a fair whack of whole bunch, giving the wine its lifted aromatics and firm, spicy backbone.

It’s a leaner vintage, thanks to the cooler growing season, but no less serious. There’s dark cherry and olive tapenade, violets and clove, all wrapped around taut tannins and a mineral core. It sees about a year in mostly used oak, keeping things focused and savoury.

A great example of why Saint-Joseph has become such a smart buy – proper Northern Rhone Syrah with pedigree and poise, without the Cote-Rotie price tag.