Up until our memorable visit nearly three years ago today, it had been all but impossible to acquire a Syrah from the reclusive Etienne Bécheras. Sequestered from the buzz of civilization, his small-production wines are raised on an organic, polycultural farm that pulses with rusticity, making the word “cult” particularly apropos when describing his superlative Saint-Joseph lineup. Crafted from vines located quite literally within rock-throwing distance of his porch, lovingly raised in old barriques, and bottled without manipulation, today’s 2018 exemplifies all that makes Saint-Joseph one of the world’s most revered Syrah-growing regions.
That is, a red constructed with chiseled granite minerality, a bushel of blue/black berries, freshly pressed violets, and an overarching sense of balance that guarantees 10 years of flattering evolution in your cellar. This is not only an outstanding Syrah from an excellent, perfumed, and deeply concentrated vintage, but a low-dollar investment that guarantees to deliver infinite pleasure and intrigue. With each blockbuster vintage, Becheras’ star soars to new heights which is why I plan on cellaring two cases and avoiding one altogether until 2025!
BONUS: Want to experience the most powerful and limited cuvée of Bécheras’ lineup? We’re clinging to a tiny parcel of his 2017 “Tour Joviac,” available here for just a few dollars more!
Between three Saint-Joseph cuvées, Becheras only bottles about 1,000 cases by hand each year, and until recently, they only entered the US in suitcases of in-the-know sommeliers and tenacious collectors. Even ardent northern Rhône enthusiasts might know this property only by reputation because, frankly, there’s not much else to go on! Bécheras never submits his wines for magazine reviews, many are sold directly to Michelin-rated restaurants in France, and, historically, anyone wishing to acquire even one bottle for home consumption had to personally know the man! The real kicker here is that, despite the ancient vines, legendary terroir, and hysteria, Bécheras insists on blue-collar pricing for his wines.
Based on the purity and beauty of Becheras’ exquisite reds, one would not be faulted for imagining that the man himself would possess an aristocratic air. But in fact, he’s no delicate flower: Whenever Becheras does emerge from his secluded paradise, his shaved head, military-grade agricultural attire, enormous biceps are impossible to miss—all with a handshake that could crumple a fire extinguisher. He is not a ‘wine professional.’ He is a farmer and craftsman, through and through.
Becheras’ property is not a typical vineyard/cellar/tasting room operation. It is an actual polycultural farm overlooking the western bank of the Rhône River. He commercially farms a few acres of organic apricot and cherry trees. A few more acres are dedicated to livestock which produce meat, cheese, and milk for his family. A large stand of ash and acacia trees nurture a bounty of wild mushrooms and truffles while offering a sustainable source of firewood and construction materials. Ultimately, it feels as if his grapevines are only one small component of his farmstead—not the centerpiece. Still, it would be a grave mistake to overlook the magic happening at this rustic property.
Bécheras’ Saint Joseph vines line a site composed of decomposed schist and granite. There is almost no topsoil so drainage is optimal. All fruit is harvested by hand and left to macerate on skins for three days prior to de-stemming and crushing. Thereafter, fermentation continues for a month or so, depending on the vintage (there are no packaged yeasts or additives used to stimulate fermentation, everything at the estate is natural). Finally, the wine is aged for at least 18 months in mature French barriques before being bottled without fining or filtration. The wine then rests for an additional six months in bottle before release. It’s an impressively patient process for such a remarkably low-priced wine.
Nearly every vintage, Etienne Becheras delivers a perfect Saint-Joseph that most wine professionals could successfully blind as top-vintage, top-producer Northern Rhône Syrah 10/10 times. This 2018, despite its youth, is no exception. Given a 30-60-minute decant, it fires out of the glass with wonderful concentration and aromatic verve in the form of cassis, black cherry, smashed black raspberry, blue plum, huckleberry, cured meat, green olive, crushed black rock, damp herbs, and light exotic spices. The palate definitely reveals the hedonism and plushness of 2018 without sacrificing a single iota of Bécheras’ signature tension and lift. After savoring the expansive, juicy, dark-fruited mid-palate, the finish crescendos with a brooding mineral sizzle that stretches for 20+ seconds. While I do recommend enjoying a few bottles now, the real genius of this wine won’t fully reveal itself for another 2-3 years, so please do stock up on this immense and powerfully layered Syrah!
