2023 Saint-Joseph Blanc “Clef de Sol”
Domaine Jolivet
Jolivet’s white Saint-Joseph is an entirely different animal, made almost exclusively from the beguiling Marsanne grape, which reaches its loftiest potential in the granite soils of this part of France. Round and generous on first blush and then wound up, energetic, and fine-grained on the finish, this thoroughbred wine is sculpted for the cellar but still provides a lot of immediate gratification. His 2018 was one of the highlights of my travels on the wine route last year.
—Dixon Brooke
| Wine Type: | white |
| Vintage: | 2023 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | 95% Marsanne, 5% Roussanne |
| Appellation: | Saint-Joseph |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Northern Rhône |
| Producer: | Domaine Jolivet |
| Winemaker: | Bastien Jolivet |
| Vineyard: | Planted in 1960-70, 2016, 2023; 2 ha |
| Soil: | Granite |
| Aging: | Aged for 12 months in 228L oak barrels, 10% of which are new |
| Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
| Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Domaine Jolivet
Our latest discovery from Saint-Joseph comes from the talented hand of young Bastien Jolivet, working his family’s vineyards in the hamlet of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. Bastien inherited the family domaine in 2014 from his father, who sold the grapes from their five hectares to the local cooperative. But Bastien set his sights higher, eager to turn the family’s holdings into domaine-bottled, terroir-driven Saint-Joseph. In only his first decade running the winery, Bastien expanded the property to 13 hectares in total, which he works organically. The winery sits at the base of a very steep and terraced hillside where many of his Saint-Joseph vines sit. In the rare moments when Jolivet is not outdoors tending his vines, he shows a magical touch in the cellar. He has made huge strides since he began in 2014 and his wines are getting better every year. He is poised to be a rising star of the appellation.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171