WTN: Domaine Pierre Gaillard St Joseph "Les Pierres" 1999

Another Rhone-y from my stash. This time the little known Domaine Pierre Gaillard. From my reading of their site, this is their top selection from St Joseph. This weighs in at 12.5% A/V and presents as smooth, polished and stylish, quite modern and very feminine in nature. Although drinking beautifully now, I predict this wine will hold for many years.

Tasting note - Retains a medium- to dark- ruby that holds virtually to the meniscus. Intriguing pure and aromatic nose of deep-set blackcurrant and raspberry with some black cherry fruit thrown in for good measure. There's also suggestions of grilled, spiced meats, sweet earth, a little tarry aspect and some quality timber backing. With time I picked some almost Burgundian (read Pinot Noir) character that added even more complexity and interest to an already quite sensual bouquet. The palate is of medium body, gorgeously silky and smooth with excellent delineation. Although creamy and rounded in the fore-palate, the wine has substantial grip from some moderately firm but softening tannins and some crisp, lively acidity that eventually gives way to a fruit-driven finish of considerable longevity. This is an outstanding example of Syrah that will last for another decade and worthy of 92 points on my scorecard.

I've reproduced some data from their website on this wine

Terroir

~ 1 ha - Communes : Chavanay, Malleval (42), Limony (07) Grape variety : 100% Syrah
The Les Pierres cuvee is the product of double selection. As soon as they are harvested, all our terroirs are kept separate. The finest harvests from the Clos de Cuminaille, as well as from Cote Bellay and Cote de Limony, are identified and matured in new barrels. The Les Pierres cuvee thus starts its life on hillsides which are particularly well exposed, with light, permeable granites soils offering conditions suitable for the best expression of the Syrah. At the end of the maturing process, the best barrels are chosen for the Les Pierres cuvee.

Vinification

harvest, sorted by vine, partially de-stemmed, crushed
Cold maceration : 4 to 5 days at 5-9C
Alcoholic fermentation : 4 to 5 days at 18-20C at the start of fermentation, 34C at the end
Hot maceration : 2 to 3 weeks at 30C, stopped when green and rustic tannins appear
Malolactic fermentation in oak casks

A series of procedures (pigeages or pressing down of the cap of skins floating on the surface, remontages or pumping the fermenting wine out of the bottom of the cask and back in at the top of the cask, over the cap, and delestage, or aerating the wine to speed up its development) enable full extraction of the aromas and tannins. The wine comes into contact with oak barrels before the malolactic fermentation in order to obtain a harmonious blend of the wood aromas with those of the wine.

Maturing

to 20 months, 100% new wood, finely grained oak from Allier and Nevers, smoothly sanded barrels
Racking: every 3 months

In March, when we do the blending, only 10 or 15 of the finest barrels will receive the name Les Pierres.
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[David M. Bueker]

Thanks for the very informative note David. Good to see you around.

This time the little known Domaine Pierre Gaillard.

It is well known here and well respected by Rhône connoisseurs although some have reservations about often obvious new wood.
It is also highly rated by two of the best French annual guides.

Sorry for not being up to speed with the old world on this one, Tim. I don't see or read much on this over here. Blissful ignorance can, sometimes, be a good thing in a troubled world.

Thanks for putting me in the picture.

Thanks for the note David. Sounds really tasty. I quite like Gaillard, though I've had the odd woody bottling - when the wines are on though, they're fantastic value for money (and I'm looking forward to opening some of the '06 Cote-Rotie I got for a steal recently).