Domaine Gerard Courbis

Vieilles Vignes St. Joseph Syrah

9.512 ratings
9.59 pro ratings
St. Joseph, Northern Rhône, Rhône, France
Syrah
Lamb
Top Notes For
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Hugely reduced out of the gates. Wow huge sulfur. Palate is red fruited, silky and so supple. Needs mega mega air. Wow what a nose now with air. Olive explosion. feral, meaty, charcuterie and so classic. Palate is so fresh, energetic and silky. So so supple. Amazing purity. Nose still not quite there but it’s going to get there. So silky and such refined tannins. Substantial but refined. Amazing presence.

Hugely reduced out of the gates. Wow huge sulfur. Palate is red fruited, silky and so supple. Needs mega mega air. Wow what a nose now with air. Olive explosion. feral, meaty, charcuterie and so classic. Palate is so fresh, energetic and silky. So so supple. Amazing purity. Nose still not quite there but it’s going to get there. So silky and such refined tannins. Substantial but refined. Amazing presence.

Feb 3rd, 2024
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.6

This is in the zone as many 2020 N Rhone Syrahs are. 19’s are closed as well. Big blackberry, olives, mint and game. So aromatic and lush. Feral, sweaty and so classic. Love this wine. Palate is ripe, inky and rich but with awesome freshness and purity. Melty tannins and awesome depth. Needs some air but man is this in the zone. Wonderful.

After 2 hours this got so lush, so vivid and detailed with pottery, game, blackberry fruit and a pastille like texture. So compelling. 9.4 to 9.6.

This is in the zone as many 2020 N Rhone Syrahs are. 19’s are closed as well. Big blackberry, olives, mint and game. So aromatic and lush. Feral, sweaty and so classic. Love this wine. Palate is ripe, inky and rich but with awesome freshness and purity. Melty tannins and awesome depth. Needs some air but man is this in the zone. Wonderful.

After 2 hours this got so lush, so vivid and detailed with pottery, game, blackberry fruit and a pastille like texture. So compelling. 9.4 to 9.6.

Sep 6th, 2023
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

From 80-100 year old vines. Olives and game. Feral. Awesome nose, spice and herbals, minerals and lovely depth, somewhat vegetal that needs to age out. Big and sappy and pure. Lovely tannins and ripeness and crazy depth and purity. Long finish. Young but wonderful and deep. Excellent. 9.5 with air the nose is more harmonious, so good. Juicy, linear and lean. Very precise and skinny.

From 80-100 year old vines. Olives and game. Feral. Awesome nose, spice and herbals, minerals and lovely depth, somewhat vegetal that needs to age out. Big and sappy and pure. Lovely tannins and ripeness and crazy depth and purity. Long finish. Young but wonderful and deep. Excellent. 9.5 with air the nose is more harmonious, so good. Juicy, linear and lean. Very precise and skinny.

Jul 15th, 2023
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.7

Olives and feral, so so clean. Wild mint, feral and gamey, complex and concentrated and so deep. Great tannins, perfect wine. minty, Olives, gamey, so so pure. layered and complex. 9.7. Nose is so crazy. Perfect balance and crystalline purity. Wonderful inner mouth aromas.

Olives and feral, so so clean. Wild mint, feral and gamey, complex and concentrated and so deep. Great tannins, perfect wine. minty, Olives, gamey, so so pure. layered and complex. 9.7. Nose is so crazy. Perfect balance and crystalline purity. Wonderful inner mouth aromas.

Jul 15th, 2023
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

As authentic as it gets. Older than old school. Nose is iodine, granite, blackberries, and it’s all wrapped in a bow. It is so refined. Wow. This is a stunning young bottle of this. Always a 9.5 as you can see by previous notes but this is just beyond. Meaty. I mean like sick insane vivid meats. Smoked and cured. 9.8 nose. Holy shit. That palate is elegant as all can be but has serious structure and tannins but all wrapped in granite and blackberry fruit. What a finish. This is as good a St. Joseph as I’ve had in months. Wow the concentration. So granitic and mineral. Young. But incredible. 9.5 for now.

As authentic as it gets. Older than old school. Nose is iodine, granite, blackberries, and it’s all wrapped in a bow. It is so refined. Wow. This is a stunning young bottle of this. Always a 9.5 as you can see by previous notes but this is just beyond. Meaty. I mean like sick insane vivid meats. Smoked and cured. 9.8 nose. Holy shit. That palate is elegant as all can be but has serious structure and tannins but all wrapped in granite and blackberry fruit. What a finish. This is as good a St. Joseph as I’ve had in months. Wow the concentration. So granitic and mineral. Young. But incredible. 9.5 for now.

Aug 4th, 2022
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Nothing like this wine. Amazing nose. So pure and classy. Olive, meat, blood, blueberry, mint, herbs, gravy, granite and so much more. A symphony of northern Rhone Syrah. Palate has so much freshness and so much clarity it’s really one of the most clean and vivid old school wines I’ve ever had. This is so clean and crystalline but never strays from its somewhat wild roots. What a wine. The granitic force from beginning to the end is something. Such good concentration and so pure. Juicy as all can be. Has those 18 tannins but ripe and sweet. A beautiful bottle of St. Joseph.

Nothing like this wine. Amazing nose. So pure and classy. Olive, meat, blood, blueberry, mint, herbs, gravy, granite and so much more. A symphony of northern Rhone Syrah. Palate has so much freshness and so much clarity it’s really one of the most clean and vivid old school wines I’ve ever had. This is so clean and crystalline but never strays from its somewhat wild roots. What a wine. The granitic force from beginning to the end is something. Such good concentration and so pure. Juicy as all can be. Has those 18 tannins but ripe and sweet. A beautiful bottle of St. Joseph.

Apr 3rd, 2022
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

So damn good. There is so much elite wine in St. Joseph. Nose is stunning, layered and complex. Like if Sozet made St. Joseph. Olive, gamey meats, mint, dead fresh leaves. Red and black berry fruit. So complex. Deep and ethereal. Amazing fruit intensity. Lipstick like intensity. Palate is masterful. Gorgeous purity, texture and balance. So so juicy and terrific finesse. Just so loosey goosey on the palate. So juicy. Wow. Awesome velvety tannins. Showing youthful, accessible exuberance. Just so good. To be classic, old school, playful and accessible is something. So so precise. This always gets better with air. 9.5 for now. As this airs it gets more structured and the tannins become more prominent but so does the freshness. Concentrated and so so sappy.

So damn good. There is so much elite wine in St. Joseph. Nose is stunning, layered and complex. Like if Sozet made St. Joseph. Olive, gamey meats, mint, dead fresh leaves. Red and black berry fruit. So complex. Deep and ethereal. Amazing fruit intensity. Lipstick like intensity. Palate is masterful. Gorgeous purity, texture and balance. So so juicy and terrific finesse. Just so loosey goosey on the palate. So juicy. Wow. Awesome velvety tannins. Showing youthful, accessible exuberance. Just so good. To be classic, old school, playful and accessible is something. So so precise. This always gets better with air. 9.5 for now. As this airs it gets more structured and the tannins become more prominent but so does the freshness. Concentrated and so so sappy.

Jan 8th, 2021
Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Nose starts out subdued but super pretty and pure. Mashed flowers, granite, game, smoked meats, clean blueberry and blackberry fruit. Gorgeous earthy notes. So authentic, deep and old school. The nose has such a sense of deepness, uniqueness and authenticity. Leather, old baseball glove leather vibe. Palate is deep, juicy with awesome acidity and freshness and a deep gaminess. Juicy black and red fruits with such purity and finesse. Really really elegant wine. Concentrated and deep. So so pure. Good structure and grip all in a compact package. This is so fine, this is so refined and one of the best old school St. Joseph no one knows about. Terrific inner mouth aromas. So pure. Gains weight and power with air but never lets go of that refinement. Superb. Almost 9.5. We will see.

Update. 9.5. Nose is cerebral, earthy and floral. Palate has so much energy and freshness. Brilliant.

Nose starts out subdued but super pretty and pure. Mashed flowers, granite, game, smoked meats, clean blueberry and blackberry fruit. Gorgeous earthy notes. So authentic, deep and old school. The nose has such a sense of deepness, uniqueness and authenticity. Leather, old baseball glove leather vibe. Palate is deep, juicy with awesome acidity and freshness and a deep gaminess. Juicy black and red fruits with such purity and finesse. Really really elegant wine. Concentrated and deep. So so pure. Good structure and grip all in a compact package. This is so fine, this is so refined and one of the best old school St. Joseph no one knows about. Terrific inner mouth aromas. So pure. Gains weight and power with air but never lets go of that refinement. Superb. Almost 9.5. We will see.

Update. 9.5. Nose is cerebral, earthy and floral. Palate has so much energy and freshness. Brilliant.

Jun 16th, 2020
Scott C

Founder / Co-director SR Wine imports

9.1

This is the old vine Vielles Vignes . This is beautiful , fish tank on the nose . But lovely bright fruit and a long finish . old school Saint Joseph

This is the old vine Vielles Vignes . This is beautiful , fish tank on the nose . But lovely bright fruit and a long finish . old school Saint Joseph

Apr 12th, 2019
Andrew Schirmer

Haunting nose - sort of a dark fruit-meaty-mint accord. Big expressive palate - big wine, but tempered with cool minerality. Pine, eucalyptus. Silky tannic finish. 😍

Haunting nose - sort of a dark fruit-meaty-mint accord. Big expressive palate - big wine, but tempered with cool minerality. Pine, eucalyptus. Silky tannic finish. 😍

1 person found it helpfulMar 1st, 2022