THIERRY ALEXANDRE
Saint-Jean-de-Muzols
Rhône
Located in the village of St-Jean de Muzols, Thierry Alexandre runs a rather small Domaine at the very heart of the Saint Joseph appellation. The lieu-dit of Saint-Epine, considered to be the finest terroir in Saint Joseph, is located here. Thierry farms just over 1ha right next to Saint-Epine, a couple of ares in Crozes-Hermitage and a few rows on the flat lands between St-Jean and the Rhone river, from which he makes both a red and white Vin de France.
Thierry first got into farming in 2000, when he set up an agency that managed vineyard work for neighboring Domaines and it soon attracted customers from the likes of Chave, Hervé Souhaut, Jean-Michel Stephan and a number of other top quality producers. By 2005, the service had grown so much that Thierry was spending more time managing people than doing the job he loved, so decided to step back and concentrate on a one-man project, farming 2.5ha of vines and 1ha of apricots.
The farming is organic. His cellar is essentially an extension to his garage - it’s a tiny space with a concrete floor but is impeccably clean and tidy.
Thierry takes huge pride in making very fine, fresh, pure wines.
Cul Sec Blanc
Vintage 2020
Style White
Region Saint Joseph
Varieties Marsanne
ABV
Soils Sand, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking The vines lie in a kind of cul-de-sac (hence the name of the cuvée) between the village and the river Rhône, there’s nowhere further to go. Slowly pressed must is left to settle before being feeding into stainless steel tanks to ferment dry using native yeasts. Bottled unfiltered after a 6-month ageing period.
Tasting Note Roasted white pear, hazelnuts and orange blossom. Citrus and savoury pear skin, quite herbal on the finish. Palate is silky and rich.
Crozes-Hermitages Blanc
Vintage 2020
Style White
Region Crozes-Hermitage
Varieties Marsanne, Roussane
ABV
Soils Sand, Decomposed granite
Farming Organic
Winemaking Grapes come from a minuscule (0.1ha) plot near the village of Servas, in the northern part of the Crozes appellation. Whole bunches are slowly pressed to settle in stainless steel overnight, then transferred back to stainless steel to ferment slowly over a couple of months. After fermentation the wine is racked off its lees and returned to age for a further whole year before being bottled.
Tasting Note Lovely aromas of ripe apricot, hazelnut and peach flower. Nutty and honeyed at the same time. The palate offers a wonderful roundness and warmth, lifted by energetic minerality and a spicy white pepper quality.
Saint-Joseph Blanc, Les Baraques
Vintage 2019
Style White
Region Saint Joseph
Varieties Marsanne
ABV
Soils Sand, Decomposed granite
Farming Organic
Winemaking Les Baraques comes from one of the best sites within the appellation, a tiny slice of steep hillside near the iconic Sainte Epine. Direct press into old barriques of 10 to 15 wines where it ferments slowly at low temperatures over a couple of months. There is a very limited production of just 600 bottles of this wine.
Tasting Note A step up in terms of complexity compared to the Crozes, this displays a rather nutty, smokey character. Lovely balance between the generous fruit and piercing acidity. Caramel and citrus pith on the palate.
Cul Sec Rouge
Vintage 2018
Style Red
Region Saint Joseph
Varieties Syrah
ABV 12.5%
Soils Sand, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking The red counterpart to the blanc Cul Sec. This comes from the exact same location on the flat land that runs along the river Rhône. Harvested and fermented whole bunch with a short 10-day maceration. Aged in stainless steel for 7 months.
Tasting Note A straight forward Syrah from Alexandre’s younger vines. It’s honest and direct, ripe yet juicy. Cassis-like aromas and rustic, well integrated tannins.
Saint Joseph Rouge, Les Baraques
Vintage 2019
Style Red
Region Saint Joseph
Varieties Syrah
ABV 13%
Soils Sand, Decomposed granite
Farming Organic
Winemaking Similarly to the white Saint Joseph, this 1ha plot is found at the very heart of the appellation, where the old Syrah vines (planted in 1960) delve deep into the granitic soils. Lightly crushed, fermented using 100% whole clusters with a maceration of 15 days with daily remontage. Once pressed it feeds into old barriques to age for 12 months.
Tasting Note On the nose you immediately notice the intense dark cherry and blackberry fruit, followed by pronounced peppery and black olive savoury notes. Densely structured, smooth tannins and a lovely mineral score on the palate.