Dating back to 2015, the Alleno & Chapoutier Saint Joseph Croix Chabot 2015 is a luxuriously complex synergy of French artistry. Renowned Michelin starred chef Yannick Alléno and Rhône winemaker Michel Chapoutier immaculately craft this exquisite spirit. Sourced from a parcel on Saint Joseph's hill known as 'Croix Chabot,' the vineyard embraces an ideal geographic spot. This fertile land nurtures granitic soils that imbue the wine with a distinct minerality.

The features of Syrah grapes beautifully shine through their vinification in concrete tanks followed by an ageing process in oak barrels for a span of 12 to 18 months. This meticulous process ensures a harmonious blend of the wine's fruity and spicy characters.

The elegant full-bodied Alleno & Chapoutier Saint Joseph Croix Chabot 2015 unfurls flavours of dark fruit and undertones of liquorice and violet. With a delightful lingering finish, it offers a rich and inviting experience for the true wine connoisseur.

The Real Review (96)

Line-priced with the Home Block Pinot Noir, this is a slightly more robust style thanks, perhaps, to more clay-rich soils. It's an elegant pinot noir with cherry, spice, anise, floral, violet, cigar box and fine, stemmy tannins. A little closed at this stage but with the potential to develop well with bottle age.

Raymond Chan (100)

Full, even, black-hued ruby-red with youthful purple tints. The nose is very full with softly concentrated and layered aromas of rich, ripe, dark red berries and cherries along with nuances of dark red plums entwined with fragrant violet florals, fresh herb and spicy detail. The aromatics blossom to reveal notes of raspberry liqueur, earth and minerals. This exudes richness allied to elegance and finesse. Medium-full bodied, vibrantly succulent and lusciously sweet fruit flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit are harmoniously melded with flavours of ripe dark plums and fragrant violet florals, dark herbs, spices and red licorice. The flavours are seamlessly mouthfilling and supported by refined, flowery tannin extraction, and enlivened by poised acidity. This has drive, energy and fine linearity, and the wine carries to a very long and sustained, rich finish of spiced cherries and raspberry liqueur. This is a beautifully rich and succulent, elegantly balanced and refined Pinot Noir with seamless-flowing, ripe flavours of dark berry and cherry fruit with complexing floral and herbal detail. Match with duck, pork, beef and lamb dishes over the next 7-10 years. Fruit from the oldest parcels, 40% Abel clone with the remainder clones 5, Dijon and 10/5, indigenous yeast fermented with 25% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 20-26 days on skins and aged 11 months in 35% new French oak barrels.

James Suckling (98)

This has all the cherry and spice and perfume that defines this consistently stunning pinot noir, as well as a sense of immense freshness. The palate has deceptive lightness and tannins that are supple and caressing and that kick fresh and expansive out through the finish. Succulent and elegant.

Wine Orbit (98)

Offering graceful power and immense complexity, the wine shows dark cherry, dark mushroom, floral, fragrant spice and toasted almond characters on the nose with nuances of charcuterie and floral. It’s elegant and sophisticated on the palate with exceptional depth and concentration, seamlessly structured by silky tannins, finishing impressively long and engaging.

The Real Review (98)

Elegant, seamless pinot noir with fragrant, floral, red rose, dark cherry, anise, spice and restrained savoury and fresh herb characters. It's a complex medley of appealing flavours supported by an ethereal texture and a lingering finish. A surprisingly accessible wine from an excellent vintage. Should develop well with bottle age.

The Real Review (98)

Concentrated, complex pinot noir with cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, violet, wood smoke and savoury/dried herb flavours. Accessible now but with a proven history of ageing gracefully. Elegant wine with impressive power.

Vinous (91-93)

Shimmering violet color. Primary red and blue fruit aromas, along with suggestions of olive, smoked meat and cracked pepper. Offers fleshy, appealingly sweet cherry and blackberry flavors that turn spicier and firm up through the back half. Subtly chewy tannins add grip to a long, smoky finish that leaves cherry and spice notes behind.

Wine Advocate (96+)

In complete contrast to the sexy, flamboyant les Granits, the tiny production 2012 Saint Joseph le Clos (which comes from a vineyard just a couple kilometers from the les Granits) is firm, tight and structured, with edgy notes of cassis, blackberry, powdered rock and ground herbs. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, it needs 3-4 years in the cellar, and will have two decades of longevity. This is almost non-existent in the marketplace, but it's worth the effort to track down.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

I've loved every vintage of this cuvée and the 2018 Saint Joseph Le Clos is undoubtedly with the best of them. Incredibly complex notes of black raspberries, flowers, lavender, bouquet garni, and a terrific sense of elegance all emerge from the glass, and this full-bodied beauty has a silky, elegant texture, great tannins, and one seriously lengthy finish. It shows more spice and meaty nuances with time in the glass and this is more Hermitage than your classic Saint Joseph. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 20 years.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A more reductive, meaty, backward effort than normal, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits is all Syrah that comes from unquestionably one of the top terroirs in Saint-Joseph. It was vinified in concrete tanks and aged in a mix of barrels and demi-muids, 20% being new. It blossoms with air and reveals an almost Hermitage-like class and minerality, with killer crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits supported by loads of smoked game, saddle leather, crushed stone, barbecue smoke, garrigue, and violet-like aromas and flavors. Just incredible on the palate as well, with medium to full-bodied richness, awesome tannins, and a liquid rock-like minerality, this tour de force from Saint-Joseph ranks with the finest vintage of this cuvée ever made and matches the 2015, although it shows a very different style. It should be snatched up by readers. It will need 3-5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly over the following 20 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

A killer wine as always, the 2018 Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc reveals a medium gold color as well as powerful notes of white currants, toasted spices, brioche, quince, and crushed rock. With beautiful richness, medium to full body, no hard edges and a great finish, it's consistently one of the great whites in the appellation.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

The 2019 Saint Joseph Silice Blanc is a gorgeous white based on 100% Marsanne. Loads of stony mineral notes as well as white flowers and white currants define this full-bodied, rich, concentrated beauty. Remarkably pure, it offers subtle background oak, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. This is another head-turning wine from this incredible estate. Enjoy bottles over the coming decade.

Decanter (96)

Family-owned winery Craggy Range was founded in 1998 in Hawke’s Bay, and the family has pursued a single-vineyard approach to winemaking. For this wine, grapes are grown on limestone-speckled stony soils in Martinborough. It is fermented in a mixture of oak and stainless steel followed by four months ageing in barrique. Roger Jones: A mellow, yellow wine with buttercups, green herbs and rosemary flowers, a silky purity and freshness. Stunning. Melanie Brown: The perfect collaboration of sweet fruit and vegetal aromas. Grapefruit, elderflower and sweet pea shoots, plus lively acid and purity galore. This is next-level elegant. Rebecca Palmer: Tart lemon-lime and whitecurrant notes with hint of spice. Silky texture, lifted by oak. Spice notes on the finish.

Incredibly focused aromas of lifted black cherries and dark chocolate-coated violet creams dominate, before the concentrated, mouthcoating blackcurrant fruit pervades the palate. However, it is the pure energy of the wine, along with the harmonious concentration of fruit and freshness, and the fine yet pertinent tannins that is really impressive here. This is a truly lovely, powerful yet balanced Saint Joseph.

James Suckling (98)

This pinot has an x-factor that sets it apart. There’s an almost peppery edge to the violet, blueberry and red-cherry nose with sappy and earthy elements, as well as roasted game and fragrant baking spices. The palate has a very plush, attractive and fresh array of vibrant and detailed pinot fruit on offer. Long and precise. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The Real Review (96)

Deepish, bright, youthful red/purple colour, with a lovely fragrant bouquet of red and dark cherries, strawberry and rose petals. It's complex and foresty too, but shows more primary fruit and perfume than usual for a young Escarpment pinot. Dried flowers, dried herb, savoury underbrush aromas. Very complex and profound in the mouth, with a very long carry. The tannins are in excellent harmony. An outstanding vintage for this vineyard. (70% whole-bunches)

Wine Advocate (95)

The full-bodied, rich 2019 Kupe Pinot Noir is a lovely example of how size doesn't have to mean a loss of elegance. Bold black cherry and plum flavors combine with nuances of cola spice and mocha to yield ample complexity, while the palate is plush and velvety, seamlessly extending through a lingering finish. While delicious now, I expect it will drink well for more than a decade.

James Suckling (96)

Intensely spicy and perfumed with concentrated notes of purple plums, cherry stones, rosemary, neroli, cloves, cigar box and ground coffee. The tannins are firm and tightly-knit, providing a solid frame to the dark fruit. Sensual and distinctive. Try this from 2024. Screw cap.

Real Review (97)

Intense, dense wine with cassis, blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, mixed spice and nutty oak flavours. Concentrated wine that is beautifully structured making it accessible now but with obvious potential

James Suckling (95)

A juicy and savory 2021 with dried strawberry, meat, mineral and earth undertones. Medium to full body. Chewy tannins and layered. Slightly smoky at the end. Charcoal. Very drinkable but better in 2025. Screw cap.

Experience the exquisite taste of Georges Lelektsoglou Saint-Joseph Trois Freres 2020, crafted meticulously from the prestigious vineyards of Rhône Valley, France. This compelling red is a product of authentic viticultural savoir-faire and passion. Renowned producer Georges Lelektsoglou has curated a blend coupling the intensity of Syrah bolstered by the delicacy of Marsanne Roussanne. This wine is a product of traditional vinification methods; the grapes are hand-picked, followed by partial destemming and careful ageing in both wooden vats and barrels.

The Georges Lelektsoglou Saint-Joseph Trois Freres 2020 emits an inviting aroma of dark fruit with an undertone of spice and licorice. It is well-structured, complex, offering an impeccable balance of engaging tannins and vibrant acidity; it culminates in an impressively enduring finish. This fine wine pairs harmoniously with robust dishes, greatly enhancing the dining experience.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

One of the whites of the vintage in the appellation, the 2020 Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint Joseph Blanc has awesome notes of quince, grilled peach, honeysuckle, and spicy wood. With medium to full-bodied richness, the balance is perfect, its oak is nicely integrated, and it has a great finish.

Wine Spectator (96)

This ripples with stunning raspberry and boysenberry coulis flavors, inlaid liberally with anise and apple wood notes and carrying through the well-defined finish. Lush in feel overall, with a mocha note draped over everything, keeping terrific energy in reserve. Best from 2020 through 2030.

Jancis Robinson (18+)

Tasted at the domaine. Beautiful nose with succulent pastille juiciness and purity with a strong smoked note. Such ripeness on the palate with beautiful depth and weight – the tannins are defined and sculpted – hard to believe it has 100% new oak. Plush and forward in a beautifully packaged, layered finish.

Vinous (91)

Opaque ruby. Primary cherry, cassis, peony and olive qualities on the perfumed nose, along with hints of cracked pepper and licorice in the background. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering concentrated black and blue fruit flavors that unfold slowly and turn spicier with air. The long, velvety finish features supple tannins and leaves behind a sweet dark berry note.

Vinous (95)

Deep magenta. Displays highly perfumed red and blue fruit preserve, floral, spice and mineral qualities on the expansive nose. Juicy and broad on the palate, offering ripe blueberry, black raspberry and candied violet flavors that tighten up slowly and become spicier with aeration. Blends the power of this vintage deftly with energy and finishes wonderfully long and precise, with the blue fruit and floral notes repeating.

Wine Advocate (89+)

Deep garnet-purple in color and replete with aromas of ripe mulberries, black currants and black cherries with suggestions of black pepper, bacon, tree bark and star anise, the medium-bodied 2010 Syrah offers just enough black fruit, savory and spicy flavors in the mouth and is supported by a low to medium level of rounded tannins, perky acid and a finish with good length. Drink it now to 2018+.

The Laurent Habrard Saint-Joseph 2021 is a rare gem in the world of fine wines. Produced in the esteemed vineyards of Rhône Valley in France, this exquisite varietal embodies the rich terroir and meticulous vinification process. Laurent Habrard, a fourth-generation winemaker, ensures its traditional family techniques such as organic farming are safeguarded whilst innovating to consistently produce unprecedented quality.

The Laurent Habrard Saint-Joseph 2021 showcases the Syrah grape, presenting a wine laced with complex aromas of black fruits, pepper and licorice backed by a balanced, meaty palate. Aged 12 months in French oak barrels, it acquires a subtle vanilla touch, coupled with a long-lasting, profound finish.

This wine is a quintessentially multidimensional, reflecting the passion, dedication, and craftsmanship of Laurent Habrard. Connoisseurs will find the Laurent Habrard Saint-Joseph 2021 a delightful addition to their collection, a testament to the sublime finesse and elegance of Laurent Habrard's winemaking philosophy.

Vinous (91)

Bright violet. Mineral-accented cherry, dark berry and violet scents are complicated by hints of olive, cracked pepper and licorice. Seamless and broad on the palate, offering juicy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter and livelier with air. A subtle floral pastille note appears on the clinging finish, which shows good delineation and harmonious tannins.