Notes from North Berkeley Imports:

"High above the village of Saint-Jean de Muzols, you’d be forgiven if you felt you’d stepped into another century. The only sound aside from the wind through the trees is the determined step of Ramses, a plow horse, as he pulls his way through each vine row. In the cellar of the Desbos family, a vertical press from the year 1886 stands ready for the next harvest. And when that time comes, it’s all hands on deck, helping to pick the grapes and stomp them with bare feet in ancient wooden fermentation vats. At Domaine de Gouye, winemaking follows timetested tradition not because it’s romantic but because it’s the “most efficient,” says winemaker Philippe Desbos, the third generation of his family to craft Syrah wines from this windswept perch above the Rhône.

For this Saint Joseph, winemaker Philippe Desbos selects fruit from his oldest Syrah vines, some as old as 100 years, for this special cuvée. The estate’s same non-interventionist approach applies: fruit crushed gently by foot, very little added sulfur, aged in neutral barrels."