You may recall seeing this beauty a few Appy Fridays ago…

Well, that was the 2019 and we sold out of it FAST. The little of these they import, we begged and pleaded for a similar deal on the 2020… VOILA, you lucky Appy Ops!

In the upcoming issue of Wine Spectator you’ll find the quote “Guigal’s top cuvées are opulent, commanding, hedonistic and showy.” And these are true unicorns we don’t see every day: White Northern Rhône by the Master!

They make very little of it, and at collector tables, maybe one pops up here and there. There is an entry-level white Saint-Joseph in the portfolio that goes for $35-40, not to be mistaken for the extremely rare “LIEU-DIT” which is a single vineyard with 20-75-year-old vines on steep Gneiss and granite slopes.

Think about this… in the entire Rhône Valley North and South, only 7% of the production is white. Another fun fact about this wine is how the Guigal brothers got offered to purchase it originally as part of a ‘package deal’ and drove 45 minutes South to explain to the previous owner, better done in person, that they did not want this vineyard. Until they arrived, and fell head over heels in love with it, which to this date remains one of their all-time favorites!

Per Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “the St Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint Joseph Blanc was first made in 2001 and comes from the namesake vineyard of the appellation. The Lieu-Dit St Joseph is located just south of the town of Tournon and consists primarily of a gorgeous, south-facing, granite hillside. Along with Chapoutier’s Les Granits Blanc, Gonon’s les Oliviers, Gripa’s Le Berceau Blanc and Coursodon’s le Paradis St Pierre Blanc, this is consistently one of the appellation’s most impressive whites.”

96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“One of the whites of the vintage in the appellation, the 2020 Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit Saint Joseph Blanc has awesome notes of quince, grilled peach, honeysuckle, and spicy wood. With medium to full-bodied richness, the balance is perfect, its oak is nicely integrated, and it has a great finish. Drink 2022-2033.”