Pierre Jean Villa Preface Saint Joseph 2014

This is the first red cuvée of the domain, a wine with a terrific core of Syrah fruit, and it sets the tone (hence its name). At roughly 12,000 bottles, it’s the largest production. The vines grow in the northern, cooler sector of the appellation, the wine is made in a mixture of 225-liter and 600-liter barrels, all older, and the élevage goes for 12-13 months (which will probably increase in the years ahead). The vineyard parcels total two hectares, or five acres, and normally as much as 30% of the grapes--especially those from the old vines of Serine--are fermented with stems.