Although Nicolas Badel studied to be an engineer, he realized quickly that wine was where he was meant to be. After a lengthy period of study and apprenticeship, Badel acquired vineyards in the Saint-Joseph and Condrieu in 1999, but didn’t begin releasing wines under his own label until 2010. His farming has been Certified Organic since the beginning, with many biodynamic practices thrown in, and his exacting approach in both the vineyards and cellar is reflected in his luminous, soulful wines. He is a rising star in the Northern Rhône, now farming eight hectares of vines near the village of Limony, toward the northern end of the appellation, in soils of pebbly decomposed granite.

The label of Badel’s Saint-Joseph features a rendering of a Roman coin dating to 75 BC—one of the artifacts found in one of his vineyards during planting. This bottling is sourced from 25-year-old vines perched at 300 meters of elevation, with a south/southeast exposure overlooking the Rhône River. The hand-harvested Syrah grapes were de-stemmed and pressed into concrete tanks for fermentation, but roughly one-third of those stems were added back to lend spice and freshness. The finished wine aged 10 months in used Burgundy barrels.

The Badel style is a fascinating mix of ethereal, floral aromatics and meaty depth. A purple-plum core shines into ruby on the rim. It has a natural radiance in the glass, hinting at the sheer gusto, the joie de vivre of Syrah, exuberant with cassis, deep red cherries, and inky plums. The profound earth component then kicks in and fills the glass with black olive, dusty violet, cured meat, rosy peppercorn, and black licorice. A simultaneous catch-and-throw of sweet earth and succulent fruits adhere to leathery tannins, which lock this wine into a long, pleasing finish. Syrah at its old-school best!