Domaine Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Blanc 375ml 2021

Domaine Pierre Gaillard Saint-Joseph Blanc is a rare single-variety Roussanne from the far north of the appellation, in a half bottle.

Saint-Joseph stretches roughly fifty kilometres along the right bank of the northern Rhône, and its whites, a small fraction of production, are almost always a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. Straight Roussanne is unusual: the young producer Jean-Baptiste Souillard recently put the number of growers who do not blend it at around ten. Pierre Gaillard took the idea from an early tasting of Beaucastel's Vieilles Vignes Châteauneuf and has made this wine entirely from Roussanne ever since. The grapes come 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 spent eight months in used Allier and Nevers barrels bought from growers in Chassagne and Pouilly-Fuissé. Gaillard pitches his whites at the weightier end of the spectrum, though at 13.5 per cent this release holds a fresh line of acidity, with apricot, candied orange, yellow flowers and a mouth-coating, kernelly texture.

Made for the dinner table and best over the next five or six years. Serve at 10-12°C with roast chicken, veal or a saffron fish stew.

*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.