Saint Joseph Rouge 2018 - Pierre Gaillard

Saint Joseph Rouge 2018 - Pierre Gaillard

90-92/100

Drink now until 2025

Fruity, fleshy, elegant. Its blend of all the parcels of the estate expresses the diversity of the terroir.

Terroir :

• Surface area: 7 hectares.
  District: Chavanay, Malleval (Loire).
  Grape variety: 100 % Syrah.
  Soils: Altered granite.
  Yield: 35 hl/ha.
  From the north of the appellation, this Saint-Joseph is a blend of wines from vines situated on slopes facing east and south-east. Most of the grapes come from the estate. The rest is bought from other growers, however the wine is made and matured at the property.

Vinification :

• Hand-picked harvest, strict sorting of healthy and well ripened grapes.Total destemming. Before fermentation, a cold maceration for 5 to 6 days and a fairly warm alcoholic fermentation. Cap punching and pumping over three times a day. Following the fermentation, a hot maceration for around 3 weeks of the wine on marc, guided by tastings.
  Traditional winemaking. In light of this fairly extractive method, the harvest is destemmed beforehand, in order for the wine to remain elegant.

Maturing :

• 18 months in oak barrels from Allier and Nevers. Fairly recent oak barrels and 15% to 20% new oak.
  Malolactic fermentation in oak followed by racking. The ageing in oak continues until bottling with the use of oxygen every 4 months.