Domaine De Gouye Saint Joseph Vieilles Vignes 2018 750 ML

Aromas of summer bramble fruit, light white pepper, licorice, warm earth. Full-bodied yet refined, suave tannins; red and black raspberries, boysenberry, baking spices. Pairs well with grilled meats, roasted chicken, lamb sausages with herbs.

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High above the village of Saint-Jean de Muzols, you’d be forgiven if you felt you’d stepped into another century. Vines stand proud on a steep hillside, individually staked and bound by ribbons of straw tied by family hands. The only sound aside from the wind through the trees is the determined step of Ramses, a plow horse, as he pulls his way through each vine row. In the cellar of the Desbos family, a vertical press from the year 1886 stands ready for the next harvest. And when that time comes, it’s all hands on deck, family and friends, helping to pick the grapes and stomp them with bare feet in ancient wooden fermentation vats. At Domaine de Gouye, winemaking follows time-tested tradition not because it’s romantic but because it’s the “most efficient,” says winemaker Philippe Desbos, the third generation of his family to craft Syrah wines from this windswept perch. From the family’s rustic stone house, one enjoys a breathtaking vista of the meandering Rhone River and to the east, the noble hills of Hermitage. We went looking for a taste of Syrah d’antan—flavors pulled from the earth with no makeup or modern frills—and found it at Domaine de Gouye. Peppery spice, blackcurrant leaf, fresh and tangy black fruit as taut as a bow string: this is the essence of high-altitude, northern Rhône Syrah.