2022 Domaine Monier Perreol, Saint-Joseph, Terre Blanche

A quietly compelling estate now guided by fourth-generation winemaker Guillaume Monier. The domaine is planted in the northern reaches of the Saint‑Joseph appellation, where five hectares of Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne inhabit granitic slopes. Decades earlier, his father, Jean-Pierre, had sold much of the fruit to the local co-op. In 2001, he brought production fully in-house, then converted the vineyards to biodynamic practices, achieving Demeter certification in 2006. In the cellar, a low-intervention ethos prevails: native yeasts, and steel or concrete fermentations. They occupy a stylistic middle ground between the muscularity of Cornas and the floral perfume of Côte-Rôtie. Terre Blanche is a potent but fresh Syrah intended for aging. Fresh, complex, and quite structured.