Exciting as it was to embark on a long overdue excursion to France in recent months, the real thrill of the trip was tasting exceptional, under the radar finds and then securing them at unbelievable, "Did I hear that right?" pricing. Rounding out our list of private Rhone offers, the 93pt 2019 Guy Farge St. Joseph "Terroir de Granit" boasts layered, smoky dark fruit with hints of cracked pepper and flinty minerality, a classically styled Northern Rhone Syrah with years of aging potential called "incredibly impressive" by critic Jeb Dunnuck now at a phenomenal, cellar-building price of $20.
Starting in 1920 with 12 hectares of vineyards just across the Rhone River from Hermitage, the Farge family became renowned for growing quality grapes, selling first to the Cave de Tain co-op where third generation Guy Farge worked and later to Delas Frères. Becoming the family's first winemaker in 2007, Guy started bottling his own cuvées from their vineyards around Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, the steeply sloping parcels planted with vines averaging 60 years old planted on rich granitic soils considered one of St. Joseph's top Syrah-growing terroirs. Reaping the benefits of improved viticultural practices over the last decade including employing organic farming and reintroducing horse plowing in the vineyards, the Domaine is now run by Guy's son Thomas, the self-described "winemaker in training" who aged the 2019 Terroir de Granit in used 400 liter barrels for 12 months yielding an elegant St. Joseph with polished tannins and deep structure.
Boasting the rich complexity that places Northern Rhone Syrah among the world's greatest red wines, the compelling 93pt 2019 Guy Farge Terroir de Granit offers unprecedented value, a quintessential St. Joseph exhibiting fresh, plush fruit with a lingering, graphite-tinged finish, immensely drinkable now and built for the long haul – simply a thrilling winner on all counts for Rhone fans and lovers of bold French reds.
The 2019 Cornas Reynard comes from one of the great terroirs in the appellation. It was not destemmed and spent a year in once- and twice-used larger barrels. Its deep purple/ruby hue is followed by a classic, meaty, exotic, gamey Cornas with beautiful cassis and darker berry fruits, lots of meaty, gamey, peppery nuances, medium to full body, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's a more structured, backward wine compared to the Harmonie release and is going to need 7-8 years of bottle age.
95+ points, Jeb Dunnuck (Feb 2022)
Marked by hints of crushed stone and herbal streaks, Farge's 2019 Cornas Reynard balances those with deep, dark cassis aromas and flavors. It's full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with fine-grained, silky tannins and a long, licorice-tinged finish. While approachable now, it should drink well for more than a decade.
94 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Jan 2022)
Dense mulberry and forest berry nose that’s fresh and energetic, but there’s also a haunting whiff of raw meat. These hills were on flames, but somebody picked these grapes before they hit peak ripeness. Some smokiness in here, but it’s buried beneath a slew of fruit that also smoothes the tannic base. Long, velvety finish. Drink or hold.
94 points, James Suckling (Mar 2022)
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