Jean-Luc Colombo Saint Joseph Les Lauves 2018

Drink now through to 2024. Decant two hours before serving.

Named after Cezanne’s studio, Les Lauves, this flamboyant Saint Joseph starts life in vineyards boasting Syrah vines planted in the 1950s on steep granitic terraces. Approachable in style and punching far above its weight, this 100% Syrah spends 12 months maturing in new and second-use oak to allow the ripe, concentrated flavours to integrate and to soften the firm tannins.

Generous aromas of cassis, black tea, dark chocolate, and violets set the stage for a rich, well-structured and full bodied wine with toast, cloves and jammy dark fruit flavours. Subtle hints of minerality remind of the granite on which the old Syrah vines are planted.

This hearty wine makes a superb winter warmer sipped by the fireside or paired with beef stew, venison or mature hard cheeses. This is a great wine to enjoy now, but it will continue to open up if cellared for a few more years.

Producer Jean-Luc Colombo and his wife Anne became enthralled by the wines of the Rhône Valley in the 1970s and moved to Cornas in 1983 to work as pharmacists and wine consultants. Over the years the family has built a solid reputation for crafting some of the Rhône Valley’s most original and inspiring wines from prime vineyards in appellations like Cornas, Hermitage and Côte Rotie.