Region: Saint-Joseph AOC, Northern Rhône, France

Varietal: 100% Syrah

Producer: Founded by Antoine Jaboulet in 1834, the domaine passed through generations of the Jaboulet family until 2006, when Jean-Jacques Frey made the acquisition — bringing in his daughter Caroline to lead the charge. A trained oenologist who graduated top of her class at Bordeaux's Institut du Vin, Caroline immediately set about converting the estate's vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming, dragging one of the Rhône's most storied names into a new era of precision and environmental seriousness. The name Croix des Vignes is no accident — it derives from the cross planted at the top of the vineyard, overlooking the plots of Saint-Joseph, and the wine's roots go back to the 16th century, when it was already gracing the tables of French kings.

Vineyard & Winemaking: The Croix des Vignes comes from a single 1.5-hectare parcel above Mauves and Tournon, in the heart of Saint-Joseph's finest terroir — an incredibly steep plot facing southwest, composed of pure granite with bedrock very close to the surface. Vines average 25 years of age, yields are kept low at around 25 hl/ha, and the fruit is farmed biodynamically. In the cellar, vinification is traditional with 100% destemming, followed by malolactic fermentation and 12 to 18 months aging in French oak barrels, demi-muids, and concrete eggs, with around 20–25% new oak.

Tasting Notes:The 2015 is Northern Rhône Syrah in a confident, structured register — black cherry, blackberry, and licorice on the nose, laced with minerals and dried herbs, with cranberry brightness adding lift. On the palate, the tannins are grippy and the acidity juicy, carrying flavors of ripe dark fruit, a whisper of bacon fat, and spice through a long, granite-inflected finish. The 2015 vintage across Saint-Joseph was exceptional — and at just 1.5 hectares, this is about as focused and site-specific as the appellation gets. Serious, age-worthy, and quietly magnificent.