Stéphane Ogier Saint-Joseph Le Passage 2022 (750ml) *
Product price
$54.99
Description
Syrah from the Northern Rhône tends to trade the muscle of the south for perfume and precision, and this Saint-Joseph, from Stéphane Ogier, sits firmly in that classic mold. The 2022 Le Passage was entirely destemmed and matured for a year in barrel (used wood, in keeping with the house approach), a light touch that lets the fruit and the site speak. This is a medium-bodied wine built for elegance rather than force, and it drinks well now while having the frame to hold and evolve over the coming decade.
Expect ripe red and black fruits, mulberry and dark cherry, lifted by violets and a savory streak of dried meat and bacon fat that is very much the mark of northern Syrah. There is a crushed-stone minerality running underneath, and a hint of cedar around the edges. The texture is the real pleasure here: supple, velvety, almost enrobing, with fine-grained tannins that structure the wine without weighing it down. It closes long, pure, and refined.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Subregion | Saint-Joseph |
| Varietal | Shiraz and Syrah |
| Producer | Ogier |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
The 2022 Saint Joseph Le Passage brings another level of elegance and finesse, offering ripe red and black fruits, crushed stone, violets, and hints of bacon fat. Medium-bodied, pure, and focused on the palate, it shows an elegant mouthfeel and gorgeous tannins. It's going to evolve nicely through 2034. Drink 2025-2034. Stéphane Ogier remains at the top of his game and is unquestionably one of the benchmark producers in Côte Rôtie today. Since officially taking the reins from his father Michel in 2000, he's expanded the estate considerably, constructed a modern winery just outside Ampuis, and built one of the most complete portfolios in the Northern Rhône. Farming now extends across nearly 30 hectares, with vineyards in Côte Rôtie, Seyssuel, Condrieu, Saint Joseph, and the Collines Rhodaniennes. The core lineup of Côte Rôtie releases includes five cuvées that are made in most vintages. Mon Village is the entry point and comes from a mix of sites throughout the appellation, offering a terrific snapshot of the house style as well as plenty of early accessibility. The La Réserve is a step up and is based on selected parcels and always offers a little more density and structure. Given the number of cuvées produced here, I wouldn't be surprised to see these two bottlings eventually merged into a single wine. Lancement comes from a high-elevation site above the Côte Blonde and is always one of the more elegant, floral, and mineral-driven wines in the lineup. The Côte Blonde is a richer, more expressive Syrah that typically includes a touch of Viognier and comes from younger vines planted in 2010. The flagship La Belle Hélène comes from a tiny parcel of old vines in Côte Rozier, just above La Landonne on the Côte Brune. It's the most powerful, structured, and age-worthy of the set and since 2018 has seen no new oak, with its élevage now done entirely in used demi-muids. In addition to those five core wines, Ogier began bottling a series of single-vineyard Côte Rôties starting with the 2012 vintage. The lineup changes slightly each year depending on vintage conditions, but the intent is to showcase the individual personalities of the lieux-dits. These are tiny production releases, and they offer an incredible insight into these individual sites. The cellar approach here is thoughtful and not dogmatic, with stem usage varying by site and vintage, ferments primarily in stainless steel, and the wines aged in used barrels and demi-muids, with no fining or filtration. While the top cuvées understandably get most of the attention, don't overlook the La Rosine, L'Ame Soeur, Saint Joseph, or even his Southern Rhône projects like Le Temps Est Venu. These are beautifully made, classically styled wines that over-deliver across the board. (Jeb Dunnuck, May 2025)
Matured for one year in barrels, the 2022 Saint-Joseph Le Passage soars from the glass with aromas of mulberries, violets, dark berries and spices intertwined with a delicate, lovely reduction. Moderately weighted, supple and elegant, it has a juicy core of fruit, velvety tannins and an enrobing texture, typical of Ogier's style, concluding with a long, fine-grained and ethereal finish. Entirely destemmed, it should age gracefully over the next 8 to 10 years. (Wine Advocate, March 2025)
Fleshy and floral, the 2022 Saint-Joseph Le Passage enters the stage with dried meat, crushed violet, black cherry and hints of cedar wood. Structured around ripe tannins, the medium- to full-bodied 2022 is a savory, concentrated Saint-Joseph that will benefit from one more year in a cool cellar. (Vinous)