Domaine Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Blanc 2021

Domaine Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Blanc is made entirely from Roussanne, a rarity in an appellation where the variety is almost always blended with Marsanne.

Saint-Joseph stretches along the granite right bank of the northern Rhône, and only a small share of its production is white. Perhaps ten producers in the whole region bottle Roussanne on its own; Pierre Gaillard, whose base is at Malleval, took the idea from a tasting of old-vine Châteauneuf early in his career. The fruit comes from several low-yielding sites in the far north of the appellation: the relatively cool granite plateau of Malleval at Les Dries, its slopes at Chartres, and Les Vessettes in Chavanay. The wine spends eight months in used Allier and Nevers barrels bought from growers in Chassagne and Pouilly-Fuissé. Gaillard’s white is always pitched at the weightier, dinner-table end of the spectrum, though at 13.5% alcohol this release holds a notably fresh line of acidity alongside its mouth-coating texture.

Drinking well now and good for four or five years. Serve at 10-12°C with roast chicken, pork with fennel or a soft washed-rind cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.