Gaillard Saint-Joseph Rouge 2009

Floral top notes twist into wafts of pepper and freshly sliced plums both red and black –and that’s just the beginning for this miraculous Saint Joseph… which is a sound reason to take pause in order to emphasize an extremely important point: though Saint Joseph (san zhoh-ZEHF) so often lives in the shadow of its solid and much more famous neighbors of Hermitage across the Rhone River to the East and the even more opaque Cornas to the South, it can be extraordinary and Gaillard’s wines arguably bear the mantle best. Through savory sweet scents with an energetic core of fruit, Gaillard’s Saint Joseph can be picked out of a blind lineup by its floral charms which hint at the garrigue of herbal aromas that combine to great effect with violets and rose petals high above the ripe, full bodied center and long into the finish. Syrah at this price point has no equal.
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, March 2012

Food Pairings

Winged beasties with dark meat like duck, goose, squab, and griffins. Hooved game. Roasted meats.