A suave and smoky style, with sandalwood, black tea, olive, juniper and bay leaf notes leading the way, followed by a core of lightly steeped bitter plum and blackberry fruit. Concentrated, showing latent length as all the elements take a late encore, supported by a lingering mineral echo. Should unwind a bit more slowly than most of its colleagues. Best from 2022 through 2035.

Dark violet color. Pungent, mineral-accented black raspberry and cherry cola aromas are complemented by suggestions of potpourri, olive and cola. Silky and expansive on the palate, offering spice-tinged black/blue fruit flavors that show excellent delineation and back-end cut. Lively and youthfully chewy in texture, finishing with solid, mineral drive and harmonious, slow-building tannins.

I loved the 2017 Saint Joseph Sainte Epine, a fine example of this cooler, granite terroir located just north of Tournon. Notes of graphite, camphor, scorched earth, and liquid rock all give way to a medium to full-bodied, focused, structured wine that has a terrific core of dark fruit, building tannins, and a great finish. It's going to need 4-5 years of bottle age, but it's a beauty.

The 2017 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine comes from a couple of vineyards planted in 1981 on weathered granite soils geologically identical to those found in Hermitage's Les Bessards. Crushed stone, salted licorice and pencil shavings accent black cherries and black olives, while the full-bodied palate is velvety but structured, ripe and warm but firm and mouthwatering, with at least a decade of aging potential. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.