Saint-Joseph Terre Blanche Monier Perréol 2021

Lot presentation

Saint-Joseph Terre Blanche Monier Perréol 2021

The wine

Two passionate enthusiasts are at the helm of this fascinating estate and have produced this Saint Joseph called Terre Blanche. The Syrah vines used to produce this wine have been carefully cultivated according to certified biodynamic methods, which include grafting and visual selections of the most robust vine plants, as well as horse-drawn ploughing in some of the parcels. This encourages the Syrah to extract the nutrients required to flourish from the granite soils, which are interspersed with veins of white clay consisting of loess.
The philosophy of respecting the product and the terroir continues in the winery. The vinification process is low-interventionist, with gentle maceration conducted in truncated cone-shaped vats using around 40% whole bunches. The native yeasts trigger fermentations and the wine matures on lees in used casks having contained one or two wines. The wine is then bottling without filtration and a minute quantity of sulphur is added during the winemaking process as a preventive measure only.
Tasting reveals a complex wine bursting with notes of black fruit, cocoa, coffee and tobacco that introduce a ripe, lingering mouthfeel.

Located in the Saint-Joseph appellation in the northern Rhône Valley, Domaine Monier-Perréol takes its name from Jean-Pierre Monier and Philippe Perréol, two winegrowers united by a shared passion for wine and terroir who chose to combine their expertise. They have worked side by side since 1995, farming their 12 hectares of vines biodynamically with the utmost respect for their terroir. The estate is also unafraid to embrace innovation. Some vines, for example, have been top-grafted with rigorous selection of the finest grapes, allowing high-quality vine material to be established more quickly. The most inaccessible parcels are still ploughed by horse.
In the winery, the same philosophy prevails. The aim is to craft intense, generous yet vibrant wines, gently and without inputs. Extended ageing in casks is carefully managed to ensure the oak never overwhelms the wine.
Domaine Monier-Perréol may still be something of a well-kept secret, but it deserves to be discovered.