Domaine des Pierres Seches
Sylvain Gauthier is a rising star in Saint Joseph. Originally from the French Moselle, where his father had an organic vineyard, he moved to the Rhone to work at Domaine du Tunnel in Cornas and Chapoutier.
In 2007 he found vineyards around Cheminas on steep granite slopes and terraces. Little by little he grew his Domaine that now tallies to 10 hectares. 7 hectares of which are in Saint Joseph appellation and 3 ha of altitude vin de pays.
In 2020 he built a new cellar high up in the hills above Ozon, allowing him to be even more detailed in his work.
The French magazine La revue du vin de France, named him Discovery of the year 2016.
He works organically, certification pending. I was stunned by the sharpness of his thinking, which translate in the quality of his wines. The cellars are beautiful and immaculate, all the ingredients are aligned for stellar range.
The whites are chiselled, even his Viognier. Saint Joseph Blanc is unusal being 100% Roussanne, The Syrah’s are delicate, pure and full of charm. Exactly what I had in mind when looking for Northern Rhone wines and St Jospeh especially.
The range will grow over time, first is the core of the line up Saint Joseph!
The Wines
Something of a rarity, Sylvain’s White Saint-Joseph is made up entirely from Roussanne, unusual in an appellation where most whites are a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne.
Twenty-five percent of the wine spends a year in a concrete egg, while the rest matures in used oak barrels. The result is a graceful, luminous expression, combining poise and quiet power with a lively freshness that lifts the palate beautifully.
Highly recommended.
We absolutely adore this wine here at Vins-Clairs HQ. Quintessentionnal, Textbook Northern Rhone Syrah.
Sylvain opts for a Burgundian approach with ageing in 228 litre barrels.
Every year, we see less extraction and more focus. What a delightful wine.
This wine is immediatly expressive with rich aromas of summer fruit layered with cracked black pepper and cloves.
The Smokey undertone is giving a vibrant edge. This Saint-Joseph can be consumed easily in its youth or layed down for a few year. We recommend decanting it half an hour before.
On a recent visit to the Domaine we talked at length about the 2021 vintage in the Northern Rhone. This colder vintage offers an old/school classic edge to most of the wines. It was key not to extract too much and be mindful of the ageing in the cellar. Sylvain crafted something very special from this old vine plot situated on a steep granite slopes.
‘Revirand’ 2021 is a pure and focused expression of Saint-Joseph offering layers of blackcurrant, wild blackberry, and crushed violets, underpinned by cracked black pepper, smoked meat, and a touch of graphite. On the palate the mineral backbone, fine-grained tannins combined with fresh acidity cuts through the dark fruit core, while subtle notes of olive tapenade and earth add depth. The oak notes are very melow and well integrated.
A wine of finesse and northern Rhône authenticity