St. Joseph Cavanos L'Amarybelle

Cave Cuilleron is, above all, a family estate. A passion for wine has been in their genes for three generations.
For decades, the domaine has undertaken traditional, straightforward vinification. Cuilleron’s main ingredients? Hand picking of grapes, meticulous sorting in situ, alcoholic fermentation using only wild yeasts, and ageing in oak.
The business may be growing, but remains deeply attached to the traditional principles of cap-punching and open-vat pumpovers. They use no oenological products, and technology is kept to the bare minimum.
Yves articulates his vision of the terroir through the wines he makes. From plot to bottle, many decisions are required to express this vision and arrive at wines that satisfy his expectations. A Cuilleron wine bears the imprint of its terroir: it has an original character. Although a large vat room has been built, we have kept many small vats used for single-plot vinification. Although Yves seeks an overarching harmony in the range, the Cuilleron touch lends each wine its own style. They do not focus on a single cuvée and establish a hierarchy; instead, each product is bespoke – the word that best defines us.
This Saint-Joseph is 100% Syrah from a selection of old vines aged 20 to 40 years, located in terraced hillsides on sandy, shallow granitic soils. Yves isolated his plots located on Chavanay, the northernmost village of the Saint Joseph appellation, the only one mainly composed of muscovite granite. These plots made up most of the blend of the “Amarybelle” cuvée. He eliminated this cuvée in favour of the cuvée "Cavanos" (old Gallic name of Chavanay).
The grapes are harvested manually then sorted, crushed and partial destemming in the cellar. Fermentation took place in open vats for approximately 3 weeks. Malolactic fermentation in barrels with natural yeasts. Aged 16 months in barrels.
13%vol

93 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous