I'm a big fan of Luis Barruol's wines, even though I've only had a few of them. I would love to have the opportunity to try more of his Gigondas, as those are the only wines where the family actually owns the vineyards. My understanding is that the rest of the wines are negociant wines, including this one. I picked this up for slighlty under 30$ from Garagiste. I believe that it's sold out everywhere at this point, but there may be a few bottles floating around somewhere. I have 2 bottles left, which I am going to sit on for at least the next year. Saint-Joseph is the "lesser" syrah appelation in the Northern Rhone, and this wine actually is a good case study in why that is, at least as far as I'm concerned. It's definitely a nice bottle of wine--don't get me wrong--but it does seem as if it's a bit disjointed and not coming together in a cohesive fashion like I would expect. It seems slightly muddled, although there is a pure beam of blackberry, animal leathery scents, earth, and a lot of floral essence that ooze out. These scents and flavors are balanced by juicy acidity, some tannin at the end, and a smooth mouth feel. Yes, it seems muddled, but it is an approachable, elegant style--what I have come to expect from Luis Barruol. Sarah likes it more than I do, I think. Perhaps this will improve with some more time in the cellar so that it will knit together more. B+
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