Stunningly Elegant St. Joseph Priced to Drink Every Day- "Entry Level" Wine of Our Hermitage Producer

I was at the Salon des Vins this recent February in Tain l'Hermitage and I was sulking. I had just

tasted the sick Cornas of Guillhaume Gilles and wanted to sell the wines and he said he was already represented in America so I then asked him who was his choice for the best wineries in the room. He immediately pointed me in the direction of Michelle Luyton. I will be thanking Guillhaume Gilles the rest of my life for that recommendation because Luyton's wines are incredibly good, underpriced and very distinctive.

Michelle Luyton, is an absolute wonder. She is one of those people you meet, that instantly charms you with her wit and warmth. She was very

humble in saying her English was not good, but it was fantastic. She was passionate and enthusiastic and most importantly the wines she makes are absolutely stunning and a wonderful entry into the mostly high-priced world of Hermitage.  While the Luytons have been planting grapes for 25 years, this is only their third year bottling wines under their name; they are still building a name for themselves and hence the wines are just incredibly cheap. Even for Fass Selections, this is an incredible steal.

The steal today is not their Hermitage, which is being shipped over the next few weeks, but their stunning 2012 St. Joseph, which can be had for as little as $24.99 on the 4-pack. They only have .2 ha of St. Joseph and it is done in their house style which emphasizes complexity and elegance over power and extraction. In 2012 there is a bit more stuffing along with the requisite Luyton complexity and elegance. Only the French can make a wine that is this refined and this rustic at the same time. There is terrific clean, pure and precise fruit, excellent framing acidity and long, bloody, gutsy and spicy complex and earthy finish.

These wine fairs are not as pleasant as you would think. It was like 100 degrees in there and barely anyone speaks English, and it is basically a true wine fair. All the growers lug in cases to sell to what it seemed like were French retirees. There were very few spit buckets as most of the attendees were there to do one thing, and it did NOT involve spitting wine. There is a lot of not so great wine at this event. There were over 150 wineries and I had no idea who was good or bad. Nicolas Serrette I met there one day and he gave me invaluable help when it came to wine and translation. He also helped point me what to taste and what to avoid.  "I have always depended on the kindness of winemakers" and it has served us all well (with a nod to Tennessee Williams).  Enjoy.

2012 Luyton St. Joseph - $27.99 ($99.96 4-pack)