Alléno & Chapoutier Couronne de Chabot Syrah 2012 Saint-Joseph, Rhône, France 75cl

Couronne de Chabot is an unusual meeting of talents, a collaboration between the celebrated chef Yannick Alléno and Michel Chapoutier, one of the northern Rhône’s most respected names. The aim was a Saint-Joseph made with a cook’s eye for balance and a grower’s feel for the vineyard.

It is pure Syrah, the grape that defines the great reds of the northern Rhône. The fruit comes from established hillside plots around Tournon, some thirty years old, worked traditionally and moving towards biodynamic farming. On these steep, granite slopes Syrah takes on real definition and mineral edge.

The 2012 vintage in the northern Rhône ripened well and is counted among the stronger recent years for the appellation, giving wines with concentration, freshness and the structure to age. This bottling has spent time settling into that frame.

Expect a deep, purple-black colour and a nose of black fruit and liquorice lifted by mineral and delicately smoky, almost peppery notes. The palate is full but finely drawn, with tannins that are structured rather than heavy and a persistent, fresh finish that keeps everything in balance. It is at its best with braised or grilled red meats, a duck pie or a rich game dish, and a decant an hour ahead pays off.

This is a gastronomic northern Rhône Syrah, unsurprising given the chef behind it, made to sit at the table rather than shout for attention. If you enjoy Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage or Cornas, it sits naturally in that company, and with fruit from a strong 2012 vintage it rewards a proper meal and a little patience in the cellar.