Le Grand Pompée Saint-Joseph Rouge
Rhône
Le Grande Pompée is a 9th century character from Victor Hugo’s The Legend of the Ages who fought alongside Charlemagne and loved a wine from the slopes of the right bank of the Rhône. Saint-Joseph is an appellation on the right bank with steep hillsides that were carved into terraces in ancient times. The 10- to 30-year-old Syrah vines for this wine are planted in granite and schist soils on a South-East facing slope. This soil type grows Syrah that brings density and texture to the wine. The grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented. The maceration lasts three weeks with daily pump overs. The wine is then aged for 12 months in tronconic (truncated cone-shaped) French oak vats. These truncated vats allow for more reductive ageing which preserves the fruity aromas of the wine. Potential to age up to 10 years.
The 2022 vintage began with a lack of rainfall during the winter months. Budburst was rather late but vegetative development accelerated quickly. Flowering took place towards the later half of May and very quickly due to high temperatures. The summer started with a stormy episode that gaves the vines some rest. Very hot weather followed in July and August without any rain. Rains in mid-August allowed the vines to recover. The grapes were on average lower in weight than normal, promising a rich vintage with concentrated flavors and beautiful colors.
Garnet red in color, this well-balanced and medium-bodied wine offers aromas of raspberry and red currant as well as spicy, peppery, and fine mineral notes
- Saint-Joseph has steep hillsides that were carved into terraces in ancient times
- Vines grow in granite and schist soils that brings density and texture to the wine
