2010 Domaine Monier, Saint-Joseph “Terre Blanche” Rhone Valley, France.
This pure Syrah from Domaine Monier is a stunner and a real under the radar wine that is ready for the big time, another fantastic selection from Kermit Lynch Imports that impresses for quality. I’ve had a few vintages of this Domaine and have always loved the style and character found in the wines, especially the Terre Blanche and this vintage takes the estate to another level with amazing detail, complexities and textures that offer depth and lift, highlighting this fabulous vintage. The nose is compelling with seductive floral and meaty tones that give perfume and gamey essences along with mineral and spice notes before a driving palate of clearly defined Syrah qualities and terroir with blueberry, boysenberry, cherry liqueur and poached plum with dried currants, garrigue, truffled meat and white pepper. The rocky mineral tone is slightly smoky and adds to the wines complex layers while the youthful acidity balances everything very well while fine grained tannins show this Saint-Joseph has a lengthy future ahead of it. Look for this beautiful wine to gain in every area over the next few years and drink well for the next ten, maybe more, even though I would be hard pressed to wait on this one. This is a super wine that offers great pleasure and bang for the buck.
($46 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
