Domaine Courbis 2018 St. Joseph Blanc "Les Royes" 750ml

Limpid straw-gold. High-pitched tangerine, yellow apple, fennel and jasmine aromas show impressive clarity and a building mineral note. Taut and sharply focused in the mouth, then more fleshy in the middle, offering spice-tinged citrus and orchard fruit, honeydew flavors that are complemented by a subtle vanilla quality. Finishes with nervy mineral cut and solid thrust, leaving a sexy floral note behind.

Score: 93 points -- Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 2020

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Domaine Courbis’ modern, gravity-fed winery is located in the commune of Chateaubourg on the right bank of the Rhone, where the Isere river flows in from the east. This is the most southerly section of the St. Joseph AOC, with Cornas AOC next door. Brothers Laurent and Dominique oversee the Domaine’s 33 hectares of vineyard holdings, including some of the most highly regarded sites in Cornas. Fermentation is in sealed, temperature regulated steel vats and concrete tanks to produce the robust, fruit-forward, and polished style that characterizes Courbis wines; maturation is in oak barrels, with new wood reserved only for the top cuvees.