Domaine Equis Saint-Joseph Rouge 2018
Domaine Equis Saint-Joseph Rouge 2018
VARIETAL: 100% Syrah
VINEYARD: This wine is produced from vines in Saint Jean-de-Muzols, a village next to Tournon sur Rhône near the Alain Graillot vineyard. The 15- to 30-year-old south-facing vines lie in steep, granite soil.
FERMENTATION: Hand-harvested grapes are 70% to 100% destemmed to focus on the purity and primary fruit freshness that is meant to be enjoyable immediately. After several days of maceration, the wine undergoes a 20- to 30-day fermentation period including malolactic in a combination of oak barrels (5% to 10% new) ranging in formats and concrete tank.
Aside from one or two pumpovers to homogenize or aerate, extraction is done entirely by hand with punch downs once or twice a day.
Ratings
Wine Advocate 93 points
Tasting Notes
Ripe black cherries, cranberries
Crushed stone
Medium tannins
Medium-full body
Good on its own, though best paired with red meats, roast beef, strong cheeses
Maxime Graillot - son of the famed winemaker, Alain Graillot - has not only taken over the daily operations of his father's estate, but also founded a boutique label called Domaine Equis with his business partner, Thomas Schmittel, to express how the farmer is as much a part of the terroir as the soil and vines. They accomplish this goal by working closely with quality growers to remain in sync with every aspect of the winemaking process – vinifying, aging, bottling and marketing – similar to a négociant.
Maxime and Thomas pay close attention to what is happening in the vineyard all year long, decide when to harvest, the way they harvest and the way they make the wine once back at the winery (in Pont de l’Isère). They are very hands-on and take the time to have a relationship with the growers.
Recommended to set auto captions to English. Maxime explains what makes the Crozes-Hermitage area so special.
