Jean Baptiste Souillard Saint Joseph 2017

This is a beautiful, exotic Syrah - bursting with floral perfume and a slippery, spice-riddled palate. A cracking release from one of the Rhone's rising stars.

Jean-Baptiste Souillard has a wonderful way of coaxing the best out of his small parcels of Syrah from the rocky hillside vineyards of Saint Joseph.

He makes four cuveés from Saint Joseph: three lieu-dit from Sarras and Andance in the centre of the region and Saint-Pierre de Boeuf in the northern reaches - and this, the village wine made from a blend of the three sites.

Souillard has a penchant for whole bunch which creates wonderful tension and energy in his Syrahs. His preference for old, large barrels only further highlighting his respect for the fruit and his desire to make more transparent expressions of the region.