classic N Rhone syrah with some gamey flavors, and a bit lean at this point of its life...easy to drink and fine with food if not especially memorable or pleasant...drink up in my book
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This is open for business right now with a touch of air; The palate is quite fruit-forward, with a dense core of red fruits complemented by notes of licorice and baking spices; I didn't get many of the savory notes I love in N. Rhone syrah, but perhaps those will come with more time; Enjoyable now even if not overly complex
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First time drinking a Faury VV with any age on it. In my limited experience, these wines are so tightly coiled (almost unpleasant) young, so it's nice to have confirmation that cellaring these guys is a rewarding exercise.
Still a good deal of structure, but the tannic wall that you hit with these VV bottlings early on is not present. This is very friendly and drinkable out of the gate, though no real tertiary development/characteristics yet.
Nose has a hint of mocha and that licorice-y St. Joseph thing (not in an overbearing, offensive way, but definitely present).
Very flavorful and grapey (again, not offensive - this is made of grapes after all!). Very different from a Gonon. The fruit is front and center and it's grapes, not cherries or other red or darker fruits. Earth and stems and some salinity frame the fruit and add character, but this is still very fruit-driven at this stage.
Palate/mouthfeel is intense and viscous without being heavy. A little bit of heat or herbal intensity on the backend.
This is honest wine. Not profound, but a very, very nice wine that has a long life ahead of it, still. Have one more and will hold on to it for a good while.
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First bottle I tried was corked, but thankfully this one wasn't; The nose was pretty open from the start, with a pleasant bouquet of red meats, tobacco and earth; The palate has a fairly dense array of dark fruits, with some sneaky tannins showing up at the end; The mid-palate could use some fleshing out with additional bottle age, although this is enjoyable right now with a lengthy decant
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Guy's St Joseph Offline (RSJ, Coin Street, London): This was as good as ever, with a lovely aromatic nose, florals, black olives and a touch of meatiness, soft tannins, lovely acidity, harmonious good length finish. Excellent. ****
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Smokey nose of cured meat, wet stone and a surprisingly red fruit profile. Darker fruit on the palate with a good core mid-palate of tart cherry. More primary on the palate, this could use a bit more time.
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Deep ruby core, pale ruby rim. Spicy red and blackberry nose, mainly blackberry and blackcurrant, with a touch of bloody meat and an aromatic floral top-note. Medium/full bodied on the palate, attractive, savoury, spicy dark fruits, soft tannins, lovely meaty notes, vibrant acids carrying a long, harmonious finish. Drinking beautifully, now and next 3 years or so.
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No formal note. Lovely Northern Rhone nose with blackberry, black olive, black pepper and notes of bloody meat. Medium/full bodied on the palate, toothsome, black fruit, black pepper, bloody meat, tannins soft and layered, vibrant acidity, good length finish.
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Lovely aromatic nose with blackcurrant fruit, vanilla, black olive and violets. Hint of black pepper. Medium/full bodied with ripe, yet slightly savoury blackcurrant fruit, quite youthful still but with black olive notes and soft tannins. Quite generous and ripe, but not over the top and with lovely vibrant acidity running through its core and lengthening the black fruity finish. Excellent.
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Very pretty nose of crushed dark berries, then rich, lush deep berry fruit, leaning toward boysenberry, with plenty of lip-smacking acidity, mild and fine tannins; sporting a bit of peach fuzz, but hasn't started shaving yet. Drink now for youthful exuberance, or hang on for a few more years to let it grow up. Maybe not a lot of complexity, but very enjoyable.
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Medium/deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby rim. Nose is quite youthful with blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, hints of black olive and beefy notes. Medium/full bodied with sweet black fruits to the fore, soft tannins, quite fragrant and a decent length, fresh finish. Very good and should improve with another couple of years.
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Upon opening this was closed and the brett laddened. The next day was much improved - precise blackberry, black olive skin, worn granite, smoked ham, a gooseberry note and a hint of horses ass. Tremendously pure on the palate with the fleshy ripe tannin sneaking into every nook and cranny, A cascade of minerals on the lingering finish. A fabulous value and years of improvement ahead.
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taste: full bodied with medium acidity along with good tannins and meaty tones of smoke, black olives, charcoal, and a good helping of black cherries and a nice bit of pepper on the back end. The tannins are more supporting and aren't too overbearing
overall: another great showing for this wine. This was got about an hour decant, but was showing off pretty well right off the bat. This just screamed northern rhone and shows off everything you'd want from a northern rhone at a great price
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nose: great and balanced nose of smoke, black pepper, black cherries, some bacon fat, hints of violets, and a good amount of crushed berries. Excellent depth at such a precocious age right now
taste: excellent full body with expressive and rich tones of black cherries, black pepper, crushed berries, bacon fat, violets, and black fruits. Great suave feel to this too
overall: this was decanted for about 90 minutes and it needed it to open up. This is just pure and classic northern rhone and it is really damn good. Good supporting tannins right now and this is accessible young, but a bit of age can help this a bit right now
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taste: great medium/full feel with balanced tones of charcoal, black cherries, black fruits, white pepper and bacon fat tones. Good tannins and medium+ acidity accompanies this
overall: comes off as a bit young. This could be real good with a few years on it. There is real good depth on both the nose and palate already, the tannins need to pull back a bit and the aromatics need to deepen
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Serious old-world Syrah, Nose of smoke, blueberry, crushed pepper, violet. With time: vanilla, baked bread, cinnamon and white flower. Just a very pleasing floral nose. Full-bodied. Great fruit with pain grillé, black pepper, and some earth. Nice medium finish. Great buy at $21.
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Smoky, vegetal nose of scorched grain, tobacco, red fruit. Tight but rather concentrated palate with cracked white pepper, blue/black fruits, smoke, scorched grain and pinched acidity. Very wound up, even on day 2, but impressive concentration and drive, with firm, but fully ripe tannins. This is not giving up all the goods at present and seems to be in shutdown. Dark and somewhat wild, even Cornas-like. Give it a few years.
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Heady, slightly reductive nose of sweetly ripe berries, ground pepper, smoke, powdered rock, aged meat. The palate has deep, red and purplish sweet and tart fruits of excellent freshness; it's slightly floral, with fine minerality and ground pepper. Very good midpalate intensity, no doubt from old vines. The tannins are remarkably fine and silky, yet have quite a bit of grip, and the length is impressive. This is outstanding, mineral-driven St. Joseph. I'm tempted to say it's a more serious wine than Faury's 2006 Côte-Rôtie; it's certainly tighter and more structured, though it lacks that wine's easy seductiveness. Drink (with decanting) or hold.
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2007 France Trip - Cheze, Faury, Ferraton, Coursodon (Northern Rhone): Tasted through 3 barrel samples from different parcels. These were more backward and reductive than the basic St. Joseph barrels, but still very promising overall. Well concentrated, dense, pure red fruits. Well-structured and fragrant.
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1/25/2019 - Paul D wrote: flawed
6/6, excellent cork. Deep ruby/garnet core, pale medium ruby rim. Corked!
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11/29/2018 - Mr T wrote:
classic N Rhone syrah with some gamey flavors, and a bit lean at this point of its life...easy to drink and fine with food if not especially memorable or pleasant...drink up in my book
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2/3/2016 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
This is open for business right now with a touch of air; The palate is quite fruit-forward, with a dense core of red fruits complemented by notes of licorice and baking spices; I didn't get many of the savory notes I love in N. Rhone syrah, but perhaps those will come with more time; Enjoyable now even if not overly complex
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12/26/2015 - geeky? not sure wrote:
First time drinking a Faury VV with any age on it. In my limited experience, these wines are so tightly coiled (almost unpleasant) young, so it's nice to have confirmation that cellaring these guys is a rewarding exercise.
Still a good deal of structure, but the tannic wall that you hit with these VV bottlings early on is not present. This is very friendly and drinkable out of the gate, though no real tertiary development/characteristics yet.
Nose has a hint of mocha and that licorice-y St. Joseph thing (not in an overbearing, offensive way, but definitely present).
Very flavorful and grapey (again, not offensive - this is made of grapes after all!). Very different from a Gonon. The fruit is front and center and it's grapes, not cherries or other red or darker fruits. Earth and stems and some salinity frame the fruit and add character, but this is still very fruit-driven at this stage.
Palate/mouthfeel is intense and viscous without being heavy. A little bit of heat or herbal intensity on the backend.
This is honest wine. Not profound, but a very, very nice wine that has a long life ahead of it, still. Have one more and will hold on to it for a good while.
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8/23/2015 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
First bottle I tried was corked, but thankfully this one wasn't; The nose was pretty open from the start, with a pleasant bouquet of red meats, tobacco and earth; The palate has a fairly dense array of dark fruits, with some sneaky tannins showing up at the end; The mid-palate could use some fleshing out with additional bottle age, although this is enjoyable right now with a lengthy decant
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12/3/2014 - Paul D wrote:
Guy's St Joseph Offline (RSJ, Coin Street, London): This was as good as ever, with a lovely aromatic nose, florals, black olives and a touch of meatiness, soft tannins, lovely acidity, harmonious good length finish. Excellent. ****
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10/9/2014 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 89 Points
Smokey nose of cured meat, wet stone and a surprisingly red fruit profile. Darker fruit on the palate with a good core mid-palate of tart cherry. More primary on the palate, this could use a bit more time.
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9/7/2014 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby core, pale ruby rim. Spicy red and blackberry nose, mainly blackberry and blackcurrant, with a touch of bloody meat and an aromatic floral top-note. Medium/full bodied on the palate, attractive, savoury, spicy dark fruits, soft tannins, lovely meaty notes, vibrant acids carrying a long, harmonious finish. Drinking beautifully, now and next 3 years or so.
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3/15/2013 - Paul D wrote: 89 Points
No formal note. Lovely Northern Rhone nose with blackberry, black olive, black pepper and notes of bloody meat. Medium/full bodied on the palate, toothsome, black fruit, black pepper, bloody meat, tannins soft and layered, vibrant acidity, good length finish.
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8/18/2012 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
Lovely aromatic nose with blackcurrant fruit, vanilla, black olive and violets. Hint of black pepper. Medium/full bodied with ripe, yet slightly savoury blackcurrant fruit, quite youthful still but with black olive notes and soft tannins. Quite generous and ripe, but not over the top and with lovely vibrant acidity running through its core and lengthening the black fruity finish. Excellent.
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6/14/2012 - alanr wrote: 91 Points
Very pretty nose of crushed dark berries, then rich, lush deep berry fruit, leaning toward boysenberry, with plenty of lip-smacking acidity, mild and fine tannins; sporting a bit of peach fuzz, but hasn't started shaving yet. Drink now for youthful exuberance, or hang on for a few more years to let it grow up. Maybe not a lot of complexity, but very enjoyable.
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2/5/2012 - Paul D wrote: 88 Points
Medium/deep ruby core, narrow pale ruby rim. Nose is quite youthful with blackberry and blackcurrant fruit, hints of black olive and beefy notes. Medium/full bodied with sweet black fruits to the fore, soft tannins, quite fragrant and a decent length, fresh finish. Very good and should improve with another couple of years.
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4/28/2011 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Upon opening this was closed and the brett laddened. The next day was much improved - precise blackberry, black olive skin, worn granite, smoked ham, a gooseberry note and a hint of horses ass. Tremendously pure on the palate with the fleshy ripe tannin sneaking into every nook and cranny, A cascade of minerals on the lingering finish. A fabulous value and years of improvement ahead.
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8/7/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
A weekend in the Upper Peninsula; 8/6/2010-8/7/2010 (Ben and Laura's, Kingsford MI): nose: classic nose filled with tones of smoke, black olives, charcoal, black cherries and a bit of black fruits and pepper. Very well balanced and showing a real good robust style to it as well
taste: full bodied with medium acidity along with good tannins and meaty tones of smoke, black olives, charcoal, and a good helping of black cherries and a nice bit of pepper on the back end. The tannins are more supporting and aren't too overbearing
overall: another great showing for this wine. This was got about an hour decant, but was showing off pretty well right off the bat. This just screamed northern rhone and shows off everything you'd want from a northern rhone at a great price
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11/18/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
nose: great and balanced nose of smoke, black pepper, black cherries, some bacon fat, hints of violets, and a good amount of crushed berries. Excellent depth at such a precocious age right now
taste: excellent full body with expressive and rich tones of black cherries, black pepper, crushed berries, bacon fat, violets, and black fruits. Great suave feel to this too
overall: this was decanted for about 90 minutes and it needed it to open up. This is just pure and classic northern rhone and it is really damn good. Good supporting tannins right now and this is accessible young, but a bit of age can help this a bit right now
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10/5/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Fine Vines Fall Grand Tasting (OneSixtyBlue, Chicago IL): nose: deep and rich tones of charcoal, smoke, black cherries, animale tones, bacon fat, with a touch of white pepper. Great balance and a bit tight right now
taste: great medium/full feel with balanced tones of charcoal, black cherries, black fruits, white pepper and bacon fat tones. Good tannins and medium+ acidity accompanies this
overall: comes off as a bit young. This could be real good with a few years on it. There is real good depth on both the nose and palate already, the tannins need to pull back a bit and the aromatics need to deepen
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9/20/2009 - Bradford wrote: 91 Points
Serious old-world Syrah, Nose of smoke, blueberry, crushed pepper, violet. With time: vanilla, baked bread, cinnamon and white flower. Just a very pleasing floral nose. Full-bodied. Great fruit with pain grillé, black pepper, and some earth. Nice medium finish. Great buy at $21.
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5/29/2009 - 5laton wrote:
Smoky, vegetal nose of scorched grain, tobacco, red fruit. Tight but rather concentrated palate with cracked white pepper, blue/black fruits, smoke, scorched grain and pinched acidity. Very wound up, even on day 2, but impressive concentration and drive, with firm, but fully ripe tannins. This is not giving up all the goods at present and seems to be in shutdown. Dark and somewhat wild, even Cornas-like. Give it a few years.
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2/5/2009 - 5laton wrote: 93 Points
Heady, slightly reductive nose of sweetly ripe berries, ground pepper, smoke, powdered rock, aged meat. The palate has deep, red and purplish sweet and tart fruits of excellent freshness; it's slightly floral, with fine minerality and ground pepper. Very good midpalate intensity, no doubt from old vines. The tannins are remarkably fine and silky, yet have quite a bit of grip, and the length is impressive. This is outstanding, mineral-driven St. Joseph. I'm tempted to say it's a more serious wine than Faury's 2006 Côte-Rôtie; it's certainly tighter and more structured, though it lacks that wine's easy seductiveness. Drink (with decanting) or hold.
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5/15/2007 - Siggy wrote:
2007 France Trip - Cheze, Faury, Ferraton, Coursodon (Northern Rhone): Tasted through 3 barrel samples from different parcels. These were more backward and reductive than the basic St. Joseph barrels, but still very promising overall. Well concentrated, dense, pure red fruits. Well-structured and fragrant.
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