The 2024 Saut de l’Ange from Pierre-Jean Villa is an exceptional Saint-Joseph Blanc: 100% Roussanne from a small plot directly above the estate in Chavanay. The last vines stand just a few centimeters from a steeply dropping rock edge – hence the name "Saut de l’Ange," the Angel's Leap.
The vines grow on south to southeast-facing slopes on schist and gneiss over a granitic subsoil. After whole-cluster pressing, the must is cold-settled and then fermented in foudres, demi-muids, and stoneware. The twelve-month aging process gives the wine structure and depth without masking the Roussanne with oak.
The 2024 vintage proves both generous and astonishingly fresh: ripe peach, nectarine, and pear, accompanied by fine floral notes, white pepper, and a stony, spicy minerality. On the palate, it is initially creamy and supple, then increasingly taut and precise. Fine phenolic bitter notes and a salty freshness pull the wine into a long, energetic finish.
A white Saint-Joseph that beautifully demonstrates what Roussanne is capable of in the northern Rhône: texture and ripeness, but also tension, spice, and mineral pull. Superb with hearty fish, scallops, poultry, or a creamy risotto.
