M. Chapoutier : Le Clos 2021

Densely packed and smoldering, with charred mesquite and tobacco leaf overlaying the rich core of mocha, black cherry, tapenade and lavender notes, all wrapped around a spine of cast iron. Bay leaf, white pepper and herbs play out on the long, chewy finish. Drink now through 2035. 5 cases imported.

A superb Saint-Joseph, focused, vibrant and pure. It expresses notes of wild berries, dried flowers, raw chocolate, peppercorns, crushed stones and hints of roasted meat. It is medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. There is plenty of energy and drive, with bright acidity. The vertical dimension in this wine is obvious, with a dense and comforting core of berries and a mineral-driven, laser-focused finish with length. Drink or hold.

Cask sample. A little reductive—dark and brooding. The palate is juicy with firm but fine tannins. Very smoky—bonfire and peaty smoke. Beneath, there is pepper, olive and tapenade lurking. Very tight and needs a lot of time to absorb those tannins. (AC)

The 2021 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is going through a fairly reductive stage. Time in the glass gradually unlocks shy red fruits, earthy gradations and floral undertones. Round and refreshing, the 2021 delivers good flavor concentration and culminates in a finish of passable length.

The 2021 Saint Joseph Le Clos is another elegant, pretty, nicely balanced wine in the vintage. It's similar in quality compared to the Granits, but it has a much more focused, mineral-laced style in its cassis, graphite, gunpowder, and sappy, flower-like aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied and ripe, with both ripe tannins and integrated acidity, this beauty deserves 2–4 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly over the following decade or more.

A wine that perfectly illustrates the shift taken by the house, producing more elegant wines, with less extraction and less oak. From the very first nose, the fruit is present and the palate shows lovely balance, without the slightest dryness. The finish is floral and silky.