Vinous 92

Bright gold. White peach, poached pear, honey and smoky minerals on the deeply perfumed nose. Round and supple on the palate, with very good depth and clarity to the flavors of peach nectar, Meyer lemon, flowers and sweet butter. A leesy nuance builds with air and carries through a long, broad finish that repeats the floral and mineral notes. The blend of power and vivacity here is quite suave. [Josh Raynolds, 02/01/2015]

Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028

Robert Parker 95

Another blockbuster that savvy readers need to buy up, the 2012 Saint Joseph les Granits Blanc is a drop-dead gorgeous wine that offers up tons of crushed rock-like minerality, stone fruits, white peach and buttered citrus to go with a full-bodied, decadent, yet also elegant and focused style on the palate. Count me a fan, and while it’s a great drink now, it will have an easy 15+ years of evolution. Michel Chapoutier has once again produced one of the reference-point lineups for the entire Rhone Valley. Certainly, his 2012s lived up to my billing last year, and they’re easily some of the finest efforts produced in the vintage, not only with his top cuvees in Hermitage and Cote Rotie, but also in the up-and-coming appellation of St Joseph, as well as in Condrieu (where his Coteaux du Chery is one of the finest in the appellation), St Peray and Crozes Hermitage. You can see my thrilled reviews on his 2012 Southern Rhones in Issue 215. His 2012 whites were all reviewed last year from bottle, but they were included again in the massive tasting at this estate this year, so I opted to include them again. They all showed as good, if not better, than last year. Tasted out of bottle this year, the Le Meal, Pavillon and l’Ermite came in at the top of their barrel reviews from last year, which puts them on par with what was accomplished in 2009 and 2010. That’s shocking to me, but the proof is in the glass, as they say. Incredibly, I find the quality in the 2013s almost as compelling, and Michel thinks there’s more than one perfect wine in that lineup. His Le Meal and Les Greffieux releases, in particular, seem to have hit another level recently. These will see an extended elevage in barrel, and I suspect a few will still be in barrel next year for my tastings as well. The 2013 whites are some of the finest I’ve ever tasted from him, and they have incredible concentration, depth and length, with beautiful acidity and freshness. Marsanne just doesn’t get any better than what’s put into his le Meal, l’Ermite and de L’Oree cuvees. A wine I think competes at that level (and I’ve had it side by side numerous times) is his Saint Joseph Les Granits Blanc. Unfortunately, it’s now being priced at roughly the same level and falls outside what I would normally classify as value. Nevertheless, it’s a world-class example of Northern Rhone white and will age for two decades or more. However, a wine that’s still a smoking value is his Chante Alouette, and readers wanting to get a small taste of what’s offered by his upper-tier whites need to get a bottle (or more) of the 2012. Other wines to keep on your radar are his single-vineyard releases from Domaine de Bila Haut in the Roussillon. These are incredible wines and I’ll report on the new releases from here early next year. [Jeb Dunnuck, 01/12/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027