2018 Saint-Joseph Blanc Guigal

The 2018 Saint Joseph Blanc has a big kiss of minerality as well as medium to full-bodied, ripe notes of quince, honeysuckle, and white flowers. It's beautifully textured, balanced, and just a smoking good white from the Northern Rhône.

Pale gold. Ripe, smoke-tinged orchard and pit fruit aromas are complicated by succulent herbs and honeysuckle flourishes. Creamy and seamless on the palate, offering densely packed pear and white peach flavors that take on a bitter orange pith note. Shows impressive power and lively cut on the clinging finish, which echoes the pear and floral notes.

The 2018 Saint-Joseph Blanc represents a smart buy in the context of Guigal's lineup. A blend of 95% Marsanne and 5% Roussanne, all drawn from granitic soils at the southern end of the appellation, it's pencilly and restrained on the nose, with notes of pineapple and citrus. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's round and fleshy, with a long, silky finish. Sexy stuff.