Emmanuel Darnaud
Lieu dit La Dardouille Saint-Joseph Syrah
St. Joseph, Northern Rhône, Rhône, France
Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days and consistent throughout. The 2021 “La Dardouille” pours a bright purple color with a near transparent core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, youthful with a bucket of fresh, darker fruits: blackberries, dark cherry, plum, and blue berries with purple flowers, black pepper, dried earth, minerals and some light baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the black pepper really showing more prominently. Long, mineral finish. All of that being said, the elegance of this wine is arguably its most distinctive characteristic. This is a very light-handed Saint-Joseph and its transparency is a gift. Very pretty stuff. Drink now to enjoy its youthful beauty but some patience will likely reward as I expect this will flesh out. Drink through 2036. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass
Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days and consistent throughout. The 2021 “La Dardouille” pours a bright purple color with a near transparent core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, youthful with a bucket of fresh, darker fruits: blackberries, dark cherry, plum, and blue berries with purple flowers, black pepper, dried earth, minerals and some light baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the black pepper really showing more prominently. Long, mineral finish. All of that being said, the elegance of this wine is arguably its most distinctive characteristic. This is a very light-handed Saint-Joseph and its transparency is a gift. Very pretty stuff. Drink now to enjoy its youthful beauty but some patience will likely reward as I expect this will flesh out. Drink through 2036. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass
Feb 11th, 2024
Dark berries and glossy, granite and spice and herbs. Lighter than normal, juicy and accessible, wide open, juicy and playful yet serious. Lighter color than normal and truly amazing for the vintage.
Dark berries and glossy, granite and spice and herbs. Lighter than normal, juicy and accessible, wide open, juicy and playful yet serious. Lighter color than normal and truly amazing for the vintage.
Jul 14th, 2023Day 2 notes. Nose of blueberry and blackberry, granite and graphite. Dark and rich but super mineral as well. Palate is energetic and fresh but also dark and rich with blackberry and blueberry galore. Young and disjointed as it was yesterday but it’s all there. Check back in 5 years
Day 2 notes. Nose of blueberry and blackberry, granite and graphite. Dark and rich but super mineral as well. Palate is energetic and fresh but also dark and rich with blackberry and blueberry galore. Young and disjointed as it was yesterday but it’s all there. Check back in 5 years
Jun 14th, 2023Dynamite wine and so different than the Gripa. Awesome nose of rich blackberry fruit, granite and kalamate olive. Palate is juicy and slippery with terrific freshness, energy and granite tones. Ripe, juicy tannins and terrific opulence with great structure and purity. Long and echoing finish with top notch linearity and delineation. You can tell an engineer made this wine which Emmanuel is. This is going to a 9.7 now air air. So integrated and seamless with such vivid and precise black fruits. Fresh and refined. Awesome.
Dynamite wine and so different than the Gripa. Awesome nose of rich blackberry fruit, granite and kalamate olive. Palate is juicy and slippery with terrific freshness, energy and granite tones. Ripe, juicy tannins and terrific opulence with great structure and purity. Long and echoing finish with top notch linearity and delineation. You can tell an engineer made this wine which Emmanuel is. This is going to a 9.7 now air air. So integrated and seamless with such vivid and precise black fruits. Fresh and refined. Awesome.
Dec 15th, 2022
Wow. Hard to find anything wrong with this. Floral and spicy, with a mesquite quality, black raspberry, blackberry, herbs, purple fruit soak and fantastic bit of sweetness on the finish. Stiff tannins. Lots of minerals. Would drink from ‘25. This is a 9.6 on day 3.
Wow. Hard to find anything wrong with this. Floral and spicy, with a mesquite quality, black raspberry, blackberry, herbs, purple fruit soak and fantastic bit of sweetness on the finish. Stiff tannins. Lots of minerals. Would drink from ‘25. This is a 9.6 on day 3.
Nov 24th, 2022Love this wine. One of the finest wines in St. Joseph. Nose is luxurious aromas of camphor, blackberry, granite, flowers, superb granite, wow really jumps out at you. Smells like it’s gonna be thick. Oh and yes it is but it is minbendingly elegant. So pure, so young, so much more to say but it is all there. A stunning stunning wine. The aromas are so layered and also thick in a way. Just incredible stuff. I love the Darnaud style but @Matthew Cohen does not. Awesome concentration and purity but this needs 2-3 hours of air. I’ll be back.
9.4 to 9.6 overnight. Huge leap. Unreal balance, clarity, energy and purity. This gains “IT” overnight. A superstar. Very exciting wine.
Love this wine. One of the finest wines in St. Joseph. Nose is luxurious aromas of camphor, blackberry, granite, flowers, superb granite, wow really jumps out at you. Smells like it’s gonna be thick. Oh and yes it is but it is minbendingly elegant. So pure, so young, so much more to say but it is all there. A stunning stunning wine. The aromas are so layered and also thick in a way. Just incredible stuff. I love the Darnaud style but @Matthew Cohen does not. Awesome concentration and purity but this needs 2-3 hours of air. I’ll be back.
9.4 to 9.6 overnight. Huge leap. Unreal balance, clarity, energy and purity. This gains “IT” overnight. A superstar. Very exciting wine.
R had this 4 years ago
R had this 4 years ago
1 person found it helpfulJan 25th, 2020The nose. Huge perfumed, dark black berry fruit, overwhelming mint, Klondike bar, granite minerality, but a sense of depth is so there. So young. But so deep, so complex and so granite. Juicy and explosive fruit. But young. So impressive. Refined and elegant and has that Darnaud opulent fruit. Will be back once it opens more.
The nose. Huge perfumed, dark black berry fruit, overwhelming mint, Klondike bar, granite minerality, but a sense of depth is so there. So young. But so deep, so complex and so granite. Juicy and explosive fruit. But young. So impressive. Refined and elegant and has that Darnaud opulent fruit. Will be back once it opens more.
1 person found it helpfulJul 14th, 2019Silky. Dark juicy fruit. Great acidity and freshness. Slightly gangly and not fully integrated. This is a baby. Look forward to checking in a year or so from now.
Silky. Dark juicy fruit. Great acidity and freshness. Slightly gangly and not fully integrated. This is a baby. Look forward to checking in a year or so from now.
May 21st, 2018