A good wine with good value, this is a great introduction to Syrahs from the southern part of Northern Rhône. Ready to drink now, it shows off the excellence of the 2009 vintage.

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  Deborah Adeyanju

  An inky, nearly opaque purple. The nose is evolving, offering animal scents, wet leaves, wet earth and a slightly rancio element, as well as meat, truffles, currants and other dark fruit. The palate suggests mocha, black raspberries, and blackberries, with violet emerging on the mid-palate. Well-integrated, with grippy tannins. Robust, expansive wine with a smooth texture that complements its massive frame. Approachable now but likely to drink well through 2024. Serve with roasts or smoked meats.

  Food pairing: Serve w/roasts or smoked meats

A light but elegant Saint-Joseph, created with Syrah grapes grown on the upper half of granitic hillsides and aged 9 months in oak. We find it great for everyday drinking.

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  Cheryl Bringuez

  A Syrah that’s both a great value for everyday drinking and good to have a stock of in the cellar. Flavors of dark berries and spice, solid structure, and nice acidity. Very rich and ripe. Ready to drink, but I would recommend cellaring it through 2017–2019.

  Food pairing: Grilled lamb

A light but elegant Saint-Joseph, created with Syrah grapes grown on the upper half of granitic hillsides and aged 9 months in oak. We find it great for everyday drinking.

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  Cheryl Bringuez

  This is a light, delicate, Pinot drinker’s Syrah. A classic and classy example of how the Syrah grape tastes when grown in a cool climate. Juicy raspberry with a hint of white pepper. Great acidity on the finish makes this a nice food-pairing wine.

  Food pairing: Lemongrass pork

This is a robust Saint Joseph, strong and firm, particularly when compared to Pichon’s Saint Joseph. We advise giving it a little time in the cellar before drinking.

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  Deborah Adeyanju

  Blood, roasted meat, tapenade, black truffles, coffee grounds, pepper and other savory spices, boysenberry and other dark fruits, and something earthy combine to create a complex, evolving nose. Full-bodied, with slightly jammy blueberry and other dark fruit flavors, this wine coats the mouth with violets, pungent spice, and gamey, meaty flavors. Massive structure with a lengthy, fruity finish that builds in intensity then recedes, leaving concentrated blue and black fruit flavors lingering. A baby, but already stunning! A wine possibly at peak in 2019. Calls out for wild boar or other game.

  Food pairing: Game or wild boar

This is a robust Saint Joseph, strong and firm, particularly when compared to Pichon’s Saint Joseph. We advise giving it a little time in the cellar before drinking.

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  Colin Talcroft

  Deeply colored and intensely perfumed with dark fruit scents, mixed with Chinese herbs, wood, ginger, soy, leather, and musky, meaty scents. Bright, clean, but intense fruitiness on the palate, nicely balanced by tannin and a streak of brisk acidity, especially on the mid-palate. Lingering, concentrated, dark cherry flavors on the finish. Delicious.

  Food pairing: Lamb; sausages; grilled or barbecued meat; pungent stews; pepper steak; dishes flavored with olives

A play on the words nouvelle (new) and ère (era), this wine is actually sourced from the oldest vines on the Jaboulet domaine, including some once used to produce Paul Jaboulet Aîné’s most famous wines. A great introduction to Rhône Syrahs and a great value!

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  Deborah Adeyanju

  Intense black olive, dark chocolate, and dark fruit scents on the nose with mossy and briny notes developing as well. Full-bodied, with ripe blackberry and black currant flavors bursting onto the palate along with something suggestive of clay. Mouth coating, with a slightly waxy texture, well-integrated tannins, and a lengthy finish. Weighty, fleshy, and rich, with an intense concentration of fruit. Likely to be approachable from around 2016 and then drink well through around 2026 or beyond.

  Food pairing: try with a spicy beef kebab or roasted pork

Made from grapes almost entirely destemmed, this wine is sourced from young Syrah vines and aged in demi-muid barrels. The result is a fresh Syrah with immediate appeal.

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  Deborah Adeyanju

  The nose overflows with licorice and dark fruit, with meat and truffles. Full bodied on the palate with violets, blueberries, and other dark fruit flavors. Substantial, with supple tannins and great concentration contributing to the dense texture. Likely to be ready in 2016–2017.

  Food pairing: Roast pork, wild boar, sausage, hearty meat dishes

Drinkable now, but will improve with age. This is a rich, strong, beautiful wine, made from terraced Syrah parcels south of Tournon.

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  Colin Talcroft

  A very deep, inky red with rustic, meaty, earthy scents on the nose along with a streak of violets and ripe, red fruit. The palate, mirroring the nose, is suggestive of violets and bright fruit but also something earthy and meaty. Beautifully balanced with brisk acidity, seductive fruit, and prominent but delicate tannins. An unusually nuanced and elegant example of wine from Saint-Joseph—an example of what this appellation can achieve at its best.

  Food pairing: Chicken with morels, ratatouille, duck, lamb, turkey, lasagna, pizza

Drinkable now, but will improve with age. This is a rich, strong, beautiful wine, made from terraced Syrah parcels south of Tournon.

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  Colin Talcroft

  A deep, inky red color. A slightly restrained nose suggests blueberries, cocoa, and hints of soy. Although somewhat closed, it still has real presence on the palate, boasting dark fruit, cocoa, and blueberries. Still rather closed, it suggests an attractive softening in the years to come. A wine to watch.

  Food pairing: Lamb; sausages; grilled or barbecued meat; pungent stews; pepper steak; dishes flavored with olives or pungent herbs

Gold medal winner in the 2013 Sommelier Wine Awards. Sourced from 25-year-old Syrah vines on the domaine’s best hillsides, Cuvée du Papy is aged on lees for twice as long as the domaine’s regular Saint-Joseph, in 1/3 new-oak demi-muids. There is no fining at the end, just a light filtration to clear deposits. The result is a fragrant, plush and powerful wine.

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  Colin Talcroft

  A deep garnet color with simple, clean, red fruit scents on the nose overlaid with suggestions of herbs and violets and—distantly—even subtle hints of gardenia and coconut. On the palate, this wine’s solid structure is immediately apparent. Just enough acid to keep things lively offsets layers of mouth-filling red fruit, and good tannins support the fruit. Nevertheless, much seems masked. Will need time to develop its full potential. Likely to be approaching its peak around 2017–2018.

  Food pairing: Chicken with morels, ratatouille, duck, lamb, turkey, lasagna, pizza

Awarded a gold-medal in 2013 by Concours General Agricole Paris, this Syrah is said to exemplify the traditional style — rustic and sunny — of the appellation. Requires extensive cellaring.

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  Deborah Adeyanju

  The nose, characterized primarily by dark, jammy fruit, mushroom scents, leather, and spice, makes the wine seem young. The palate is full-bodied with a meaty intensity. The wine is dense and chewy, but with an ethereal quality to the blackberry, blueberry, and violet flavors present. Has well-integrated tannins. There is an attractive, savory mushroom quality to the finish. Likely to be approachable around 2017.

  Food pairing: venison and other full-flavored meats

Awarded a gold-medal in 2013 by Concours General Agricole Paris, this Syrah is said to exemplify the traditional style — rustic and sunny — of the appellation. Requires extensive cellaring.

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  Colin Talcroft

  A deep, inky, black-red. Cocoa and spice on the nose, but still rather closed. The palate is equally undeveloped. However, soft tannins, good acidity, and a strong underlying intensity suggest this wine will blossom in the future. A wine for the cellar.

  Food pairing: Beef; lamb; venison; other game; sausages; grilled or barbecued meat; pungent stews; pepper steak; dishes flavored with olives or the more pungent herbs