Saint-Joseph Les Granits, M. Chapoutier 2019

This is Saint-Joseph in full savoury mode - structured, mineral, and full of intent. Sitting stylistically between the elegance of Côte-Rôtie and the richness of Hermitage, it's a wine with plenty to focus on. Cracked pepper, black fruit and a hint of smoked meat run through the palate, shaped by the stony soils that give the wine its name. The grape, of course, is Syrah - aged in oak, but not to show off. Biodynamic, in the classic Chapoutier mould. Precise, layered and very much of its place with plenty of northern Rhône character but without needing a decade in the cellar to show it.

Best with game, roast lamb or aubergine dishes - plenty of savoury depth to match its spice and grip.

One of the main players of the Rhône and, these days, further afield, M. Chapoutier’s history goes back to 1808. Still based in the northern Rhône’s nerve centre of Tain-l’Hermitage, the producer's vineyards span the length of the region and far beyond, even to Australia. The arrival of Michel Chapoutier in 1990 marked a turning point. His championing of biodynamic viticulture, coupled with exceptional vineyard sites, re-established the estate among the top Rhône producers. Their commitment to sustainable practices is absolute—no herbicides or pesticides, and a belief in biodiversity within the vineyards. Today, they own Europe's largest biodynamic vineyard and create some of the Rhône's most iconic wines.