Domaine du Tunnel : Saint-Joseph 2022

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Saint-Joseph 2022 Domaine du Tunnel

Tasting

Colour
A deep, saturated red colour, enhanced by violet and purple hues.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet reveals a fine complexity dominated by black fruits such as blackcurrant, blackberry and cherry. These are interwoven with delicate floral touches of iris and violet, lifted by spicy notes of black pepper, wild herbs and a subtle minerality reminiscent of graphite.

Palate
This medium-bodied wine offers a fleshy, velvety texture, supported by fine, silky tannins. The palate reveals concentrated flavours of stewed black and red fruits, accompanied by nuances of liquorice and a fine mineral backbone. The finish stands out for its persistent, elegant length on liquorice notes.

Food and wine pairing
This red wine pairs beautifully with hearty meats such as roast rack of lamb, tajine or grilled red meats. It also pairs very well with duck dishes in sauce, game, as well as semi-hard mountain cheeses or tommes.

Service and storage
To fully appreciate this Saint-Joseph 2022, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 16 and 18°C, taking care to decant it 30 to 60 minutes before tasting. This wine can be enjoyed in its youth but has the structure needed to age favourably in the cellar until around 2032.

The authentic, mineral expression of a Saint-Joseph wine

The estate
Officially founded in 1996 by Stéphane and Sandrine Robert, Domaine du Tunnel is a benchmark of the northern Rhône Valley, in France. Located in Saint-Péray, the estate spans twelve hectares. The current owners, Stéphane and Sandrine Robert, have built the estate's reputation through an approach combining precision and respect for tradition. The estate's identity is marked by its aging cellar, set up in 2014 within a former 170-metre stone railway tunnel, offering ideal conditions for the maturation of the wines.

The vineyard
The plots dedicated to this Saint-Joseph are located in the southern, historic sector of the appellation, in the communes of Mauves, Glun and Tournon-sur-Rhône. The vines, averaging around forty years of age, thrive on steep hillsides with granite soils covered in schist and gneiss. The vine work is carried out exclusively by hand, sometimes requiring the use of winches on the steepest slopes or horses. The estate practises rigorous selection of the bunches directly on the vine and maintains very controlled yields to ensure optimal concentration.

The vintage
The year 2022 benefited from particularly favourable weather conditions. The growing season, reasonably warm, allowed for excellent phenolic development of the berries while preserving fine acidity, resulting in a perfectly ripe and balanced harvest.

Winemaking and aging
The estate's philosophy is based on minimal intervention to let the terroir express itself. After hand-harvesting, the fermentations of this Saint-Joseph 2022 are accompanied by long macerations of fourteen to fifteen days. The different plots are vinified and aged separately. Aging lasts fourteen months and takes place in oak barrels that have already held one to three wines, in order to preserve the brightness of the fruit without masking it with wood, before proceeding to the final blend.

Grape variety
100% Syrah