Saint Joseph, Bernard Gripa

Shimmering violet color. Primary red and blue fruit aromas, along with suggestions of olive, smoked meat and cracked pepper. Offers fleshy, appealingly sweet cherry and blackberry flavors that turn spicier and firm up through the back half. Subtly chewy tannins add grip to a long, smoky finish that leaves cherry and spice notes behind. - Josh Raynolds

dark robe, full red, black hues. The bouquet gives immediate appeal, combines soft black berry fruits with scented flowers, has a savoury angle, some of the vintage sweetness, but good lift, too. The attack is refined, clear, to its credit, with a discreet spine in support, the tannin well worked. This feels hand made, cared for to achieve the elegance within a hot vintage. Blackberry fruit sits at its heart, a near jelly-like gras as its core. It straightens out towards the finish, with mildly firm tannins there, a powdered and tarred note from them on the clear aftertaste. - John Livingstone-Learmonth

Deep, brilliant ruby. Expansive aromas of blackberry, kirsch, succulent flowers, olive and vanilla take on a hint of smoky bacon with air. Pliant and lively on the palate, offering intense, spice- and mineral-laced black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors, along a jolt of cracked pepper. Closes on a resonating floral note, well-judges tannins and impressive tenacity. - Josh Raynolds

Lavished in vanilla, the creamy, hedonistic 2019 Saint Joseph layers that with ripe cherries to make a delectable, easy-drinking wine. It's medium to full-bodied, lush and rich, with a long, velvety finish. I realize the oak may put off some traditionalists, but this appears to have excellent underlying material and is worth following. - Joe Czerwinski

Saturated ruby. Highly perfumed scents of ripe dark berries, cherry cola and violet oil pick up a smoky bacon note with air. Expansive red and dark berry and floral pastille flavors convey a deft blend of richness and liveliness. Finishes juicy, spicy and very long, displaying lingering cherry character and slow-building tannins. - Josh Raynolds

Brilliant violet. Mineral-accented black and blue fruit and floral pastille aromas are energized by a suggestion of spicy cracked pepper. Fleshy and appealingly sweet, offering lively blueberry and black raspberry flavors that tighten up with air. Shows sharp definition on the finish, which delivers solid, spicy thrust and smooth, well-knit tannins. - Josh Raynolds

dark robe. Has a well upholstered nose, a cosy depth of black jam, sweet notes, light boskiness from the summer heat, hints of granite cool. This is tasty, gourmand as it stands, holds deeply set tannins, with flair in the delivery towards the finish, which is on the up. There is late tar, dark assertion. It’s nice and thorough all the way. It’s just starting to close, evolve, so come back in 2021 – the wait will be rewarded. It has a good mass of content.

quite a dark red. The nose is evolving, and not in one place now: there’s damp vegetation, reduction, the first signs of mineral of its second stage, animal notes, a hint of Pinote. The palate is a mineral themed wine, crisp and smoky red fruits with tarred, grippy tannins. It has a loose structure, is here and there, along the palate, finishes drily. Maybe leave this until spring 2019. I came back to this after 90 minutes, and there was more flow, cohesion.

I continue to love the reds from this estate and the 2014 Saint Joseph is another beautiful wine that excels in the vintage. Blackberries, currants, peppery herbs and hints of minerality all emerge from this medium-bodied St Joseph. It's impeccably balanced, has solid mid-palate depth and a great finish. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.