Six weeks ago we shared our first ever offer of Etienne Becheras’ absolutely electrifying Crozes-Hermitage. Everyone at SommSelect is obsessed with these wines, but historically, it’s been all but impossible to acquire them—not only in the US, but practically anywhere beyond Becheras’ own front door! I was not surprised when the offer sold out in a matter of hours but, to be honest, we were just whetting your appetite in anticipation of today.
Now, we finally have the opportunity to share Etienne’s superlative Saint-Joseph, crafted from vines located, literally, in his own backyard. Today’s 2015 exemplifies all that makes Saint-Joseph one of the most revered Syrah-growing hillsides in France: Deep and chiseled minerality, a bushel of blue and black fruit, and the exquisite sense of balance and tension that guarantees decades of flattering evolution in your cellar. This is not only an outstanding wine with endless cellar potential from one of the top northern Rhône vintages in my lifetime, but at this price, it’s an insane investment opportunity. With Becheras’ star rising further each vintage, I’m confident we’ll all be looking back wishing we’d stashed away more of his 2015, which is why I’m cellaring two cases and not even touching one of them until 2025. This one’s a winner!
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**Note: This is only available on pre-arrival and will ship from our warehouse the week of Monday, September 3rd. Only 12 bottles per customer.]
I’ve said before that the word “cult” is particularly apropos for describing Etienne Becheras’ outstanding northern Rhône reds. Becheras only bottles a few hundred 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! Becheras never submits his wines for magazine reviews, most 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, Becheras 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: Etienne visited Northern California recently in a delegation of esteemed producers of artisan Bordeaux and Rhône wines—in a roomful of smart blazers and industry chatter, Becheras stuck out with his shaved head, military-grade agricultural attire, enormous biceps, and 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 three-ish hectares of grape vines 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.
Becheras’ Saint Joseph vines line a site composed of 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 two years in a variety of 225, 400, and 600-liter neutral French oak barrels 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.
Etienne Becheras’ 2015 is pitch-perfect, textbook Saint-Joseph. I’m confident you could pour me this wine 100 times blind, and every time I would call it top vintage, top producer Saint-Joseph. There’s something about the vividness of the granitic minerality and the depth and tension of the fruit that transports me right to this specific rocky hillside above the Rhône River. Today, this wine is a lip-smacking, thirst quenching torrent of spicy blue and black fruit— but please try to exercise some patience! I cannot stress strongly enough just how badly this bottle wants to be locked away in a cold cellar for another ten years. Etienne has designed his trio of 2015 Saint-Joseph releases for greatness and multi-decade cellar potential. Now it’s up to all of us to take them to the finish line! So, by all means, pull a cork soon on one bottle alongside a buttery pan-seared steak
au poivre. You won’t regret experiencing its confident youthful energy, but just promise me that you’ll set aside some bottles for extended cellaring. This is a Saint-Joseph for the ages!
