Laurent Fayolle Saint Peray Montis 2022

Description

A new discovery for us but what a delightful find. Laurent is the 6th generation of his family to run the estate, taking over in 2002 and converting the property to organic farming. They own around 7 hectares of vineyards around Hermitage that qualify for Crozes Hermitage (Syrah) and Saint Peray (Marsanne).

The big difference between St-Péray and the white St-Joseph is, of course, the soils, with granite for St-Joseph and loess, clay and Jurassic limestone at St Péray, where the wines always have an extra lick of acidity. Usually, after five years the fruits of all the whites start to close down, and savoury almost herbal notes appear, a bit sooner for a hot vintage, a bit later for a cool vintage.

This delicious wine is crafted from a plot of 60–80-year-old Marsanne vines planted on both limestone and granite and fermented in traditional Rhône demi-muids (600L oak casks) of which just 15% are new. This is a beautiful and sensational wine, glowing with orange blossom, elderflower and gently peachy fruit, the power on the nose hiding surprising pithiness and freshness on the palate finishing in honeysuckle and Meyer lemon. A wine that is delicious now and will comfortably fill out over 5 or more years in the cellar.