Saint-Joseph Blanc, Domaine Courbis

Tasting Note

An excellent example of white Saint Joseph from the Northern Rhône; this is very aromatic, with floral notes combining with ripe peach and a touch of brioche on the nose. Richly textured, but beautifully balanced on the palate with a refreshing finesse on the finish.

Producer Note

Domaine Courbis dates from the 16th century and has been handed down from father to son since the start of the 20th century. Now under the dynamic partnership of two brothers: Laurent, who is responsible for winemaking, and Dominique who looks after the vineyard. The vineyard currently extends to 35 hectares (including eight hectares in Cornas, five hectares in Saint Joseph Blanc and 19 hectares in Saint Joseph Rouge) in the communes of Châteaubourg and Cornas. The vines are planted on steep hillsides facing South and West. The wine cellar is modern and equipped with temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and oak casks. The wines of Domaine Courbis are of extremely high quality and are consistently met with worldwide acclaim.

Vineyard

The vineyard is located approximately eight kilometres from Tournon. It comprises five hectares situated to the southern end of the estate, on south east facing steep slopes. The vines are planted in clay and limestone soils.

Winemaking

The grapes were manually harvested at optimum maturity. They were immediately pressed, racked and fermented at low temperatures of 16 to 17°C in stainless steel vats. 30% of the harvest was fermented in new barrels.

Serving Suggestion

Roasted poultry with seasonal vegetables

Grape

Marsanne 97%, Roussanne 3%