From east-facing vines that were planted at the end of the 1990s, Chapoutier's 2019 Saint-Joseph Le Clos offers up scents of crushed stone, blackberries, cassis and hints of scorched coffee. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich, it's dense, creamy textured and plush on the mid-palate, finishing long and velvety. I suspect I may be underestimating it.

The 2017 Saint-Joseph Le Clos takes intensity and richness in Saint-Joseph to virtually another level. Loaded with dense, ripe fruit from its facing slopes, it should prove to be a great, long-lived wine. Plum and blueberry notes merge seamlessly with crushed stone to create a concentrated, full-bodied wine, with terrific structure and length. No, Michel, I'm not giving this 100 points, but it is darn good, among the best St. Joes I've ever tasted.

Looking even better than it did last year, now that it's in the bottle, Chapoutier's 2016 Saint-Joseph Le Clos is impressive indeed. Classy notes of crushed stone and pencil shavings are joined by floral hints of violets, plus ripe cassis on the nose. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it comes across as dense yet not heavy (does that make any sense?), finishing with silky tannins and a tremendously long finish. It's a tour de force in Saint-Joseph, nearly equal in quality to Chapoutier's parcel-selection wines from across the river in Hermitage.