The Next Important Wine in St. Joseph - Special Selection of Old, Old Vines - First Vintage

The Best Grapes from Vineyards Averaging 85 Years Old
Mikael Finally Took His Elite Terroir and Vines and Went for It
This Cuvee Competes with the Top Wines from Gripa, Gonon and Darnaud
A Steal for a Super Cuvee at $41.99
From 2016 - A Vintage I Love 

2016 Domaine de Cote Epine St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes "Cuvee Special"
 - Nose: Layered, Refined; Precise and Vivid Red Fruits
 - Massive Fruit Soak on the Palate:
 - Gorgeous Floral Inner Mouth Aromas
 - Intense, Long, Soaking Finish

You All Know What Mikael Can Bring at $24.99 Imagine the THUNDER He Brings at $41.99... 

I've been visiting and importing Mikael Desestret's wines since the beginning and it's been a

wonderful privilege to sell his wines.  He's like many of our young winemakers - he makes a great wine that he sells for a fair price and through our direct to consumer model, it's an amazing value.  The regular St. Joseph St. Epine is made from vines as old as 140 years old and an average age of 85 years old. He has some of the old Raymond Trollat vines that also were given to Gonon.  So your talking, really old vines on elite terroir for a song. It's one of our most popular wines and truly is magical after 5-7 years. But now, Mikael has forecast himself into the forefront and is now making one of the top 5 wines in St. Joseph. Read on.

At some point, my young turks always want to reach for something greater.  To compete with their heroes.  And for Mikael Desestret, today is that day.  He has a new cuvee of the best plots from the oldest and best vines. I'd always asked and somewhat encouraged him to make a super cuvee from his top top stuff and he finally did. And of all years he did it in 2016, which I lauded him for, as I love 2016 (reminds me of 1991 or a much better 2014), which is a notable choice. The wine will not be bottled till early December right in time for the pickup. It is still in barrel. This is an extraordinary wine that all the Rhone heads on the list need. It is the next important wine in St. Joseph. And as usual I'm so early the cuvee does but even have a name yet. I'll let everyone know when I know.

The debut of 2016 Domaine de Cote Epine St. Joseph Vieilles Vignes "Cuvee Special" can be had for $41.99 a bottle on a 4-Pack. First of all before I delve into the tasting note the three notable things about this wine
1) the age of the vines which is an older average than the regular cuvee,
2) it's from the best vines as Mikael decides and
3) the elevage is much longer than the 2016 which we delivered this past Spring.

This wine is insane. Just insane. I am so so excited that Mikael is making an old vine special select parcel cuvee.

Stunning drop dead nose. You notice immediately this is an altogether more serious effort than the regular St. Joseph. The  nose has a layered refined feel to it that is eye popping and so noticeable. It's got big red fruits that are so precise and vivid.  So clearly defined. So floral also with a red fruited confit aspect to it. It's so refined and just so pretty. Big big raspberry. White pepper, game, olives, meatiness along with the deep fruit. After air it gets black and red. Big blackberry. It's so present but has such clarity to the aromas. This can easily play with the big boys.

The palate is unreal. Very very complex and unfathomably deep with precision and refinement. It is massively concentrated yet lithe and so balanced and elegant. The inner mouth aromas are something else and stick like glue to your palate with give and take of insane fruit and granite from the elite terroir. The old vines cling to your palate like nothing else. Sap for days and such flavor authority. It's so deep with unreal refinement and clarity to the big, red raspberry soaking fruit. It soaks your palate like nothing else and has the sweetest floral inner mouth aromas. I cannot emphasize enough the pure jaw dropping flavor impact of this wine. It's mind-blowing. It is one of the most juxtaposed wines with powerful deep fruit and structure but also achingly beautiful refinement. I was in awe and spent 30 minutes with this wine as it was like a dream come true for me for Mikael to really crank out the most of his terroir and make a special cuvee and so special it is.

The finish has such a fruit soak and behind all that is old vine sap, intense and I mean an intense granite footprint and just stunningly pure and superbly crunchy. Deep licorice and flowers resonate long after the first sip.


You all know what Mikael can bring at $24.99 imagine the THUNDER he brings at $41.99. I could not and you will not. You will be amazed. It's so complete and so refined. This is amazing. Truly stunning wow wine that is a beguiling thing of beauty. Everyone needs to try this!  I cannot imagine how much more depth, sweetness and complexity it has picked up in barrel since January, and when finally bottled in December, this wine will be better than the wine I just described.

2016 Domaine de la Cote St. Epine St. Josesph Vieilles Vignes "Cuvee Reserve" - $43.99 ($167.96 4-pack) (VERY LIMITED)