2015 Domaine Julien Cecillon, Saint-Joseph “Babylone” Rhone Valley, France.
Wonderfully expressive and pretty from the get go, this 2015 Cecillon Saint-Joseph shows Syrah in it’s purest form with terroir shinning throughout, it’s a lovely expression of vintage and place with detailed blue fruits and seductive floral and spices bursting from the glass in a deeply colored wine that oozes sex appeal. This is where the magic of the Northern Rhone happens, this Saint-Joseph gives and earthy impression before revealing sweet violets, plum, black cherry, blueberry and subtle cassis notes as well as minty anise, peppercorns, light oily olive, crunchy flinty stones and a faint hint of blood/game. Well made and medium bodied there is a warm ripeness to the palate and freshness of youth to enjoy in this new vintage of Cecillon, it’s an old school wine that takes it’s clues from the year, this is an impressive effort and I highly recommend it, it has everything you’d want from this region and a bit extra. There is an attractive focus and vitality here and with air things get better and better with more richness, length and robust nature with a touch of fig, boysenberry and leather adding to the complete picture, this is a wine that invites you to sip again and again, I think I’ll need a few more bottles! Look for a solid window of fabulous drinking here, I love that you can really dig into it right now too, best guess would be a 3 to 5 year wait, but it should go a decade with ease, very nice stuff.
($38 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
