Monier Perréol, Syrah, Saint-Joseph, Northern Rhône, France 2023

A wine with the energy of the great outdoors. Flint, bramble, and fruit: the nose is full of supple black cherry and cured olives, with hints of smoked-meat gaminess around the edges. The palate has grip and a pleasantly surprising lick of brightness.

Jean-Pierre Monier is as happy and as grateful a vigneron as one finds. Like his forefathers, wine is only part of his farm’s overall production. Heavily influenced by the teaching and research of the German biodynamic guru, Maria Thun, Jean-Pierre earned certification in 2006. With only five hectares of land to farm, all on gentle, higher altitude slopes, one might question the interest in working by such stringent standards. For a joyful artisan like Jean-Pierre, purity and authenticity are paramount, and his viticultural methodology is merely the most genuine manifestation of these ideals.