2019 E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Rouge 750 ml

No winery is more responsible for the Northern Rhône’s place in the hearts and cellars of collectors than Guigal. Robert Parker called patriarch Marcel Guigal “this planet’s greatest winemaker,” and the house boasts over twenty 100-point wines.

The 2019 E. Guigal Saint-Joseph Rouge is a way to experience the genius of Guigal’s Northern Rhône Syrah. It packs an impressive amount of Northern Rhône character and power, but for less than half the price of one of Guigal’s Hermitage wines—and a tenth of what their famed “La La’s” from Côte-Rôtie would set you back. The late, great Josh Raynolds of Vinous called it “Smooth and expansive on the palate…Juicy and subtly chewy in texture.” Both opulent and muscled, it’s ready to strut its stuff with a brief decant or a half-decade in the cellar.

Guigal’s version is based on two of the most legendary estates in the area. Their most famous property was formerly held by winemaker Jean-Louis Grippat, who sold his vineyards to the Guigals when he retired. His wines were known as the “Rolls-Royce of Saint-Joseph,” and today they’re some of the most coveted, collectible bottles from the 80s and 90s in France.

To fruit from that site, Guigal adds grapes from the Vallouit estate—another granite-soiled star in the heart of the appellation—along with ones purchased from select growers. It’s a recipe for greatness, and the resulting wine spends a full 16 months in second-fill barrels that polish it without imparting overt oak flavors.