2021 Andre Perret, Saint-Joseph

Great address for smoky, gamey nuances to a delicate fruit in this ethereal vintage. And a great price for a well-made St Joseph. Perret’s St. Joseph isn’t your average St. Joseph valley floor bs. This is the great stuff from the hillside vineyards surrounding the original villages. Back in the day, they considered this juice in line qualitatively with Hermitage & Cote-Rotie, but since the appellation was expanded, the reputation and quality of the vast majority of St. Joseph wines do not compare to these original villages. The value play here is that St. Joseph ranges from $30 to $120 per bottle while top Hermitage and Cote Rotie can trade for double or triple that and into 4-digit bottles. However, qualitatively, the wines are comparably excellent. This is a no brainer for steaks, burgers, etc on the grill.