Honest Grapes Wine Therapy: Grower Tasting with Lionel Faury
As part of their Wine Therapy Sessions for us locked down wine lovers, Honest Grapes co-founder Tom Harrow hosted a virtual Grower Tasting last week with superstar of the Northern Rhône, Lionel Faury. This was the first of a series of online events organised by Honest Grapes, whereby wines are sent to attendees in advance and a live virtual tasting commences using the Zoom video conference call platform.
I was sent two of Lionel’s delicious bottles, Saint-Joseph Blanc 2018 and Saint-Joseph Rouge Hedonism 2017, to sip on whilst Lionel popped up on my iPad in my living room to tell me (and all of the other participants, I assume, though I like to think it was just me) all about the way he makes his wines.
The Northern Rhône is such an exciting region; it has so much to offer. Even as far back as the Roman Times, it was known as having an exceptional terroir for making wine. Despite this, it was fascinating to hear that the estate (Lionel’s grandfather’s) was used as a mixed farm until the 1980s, when Lionel’s father became interested in winemaking and bought some steep slopes on which to grow local grapes, such as Marsanne, Roussanne and Syrah. Lionel took over the vineyard in 2005, as a sprightly 22-year-old, with the aim of continuing and improving on his father’s quest for quality.
Saint Joseph Blanc 2018
Lionel’s style is small production, relaxed winemaking. He likes freshness and brightness in the wines and for them to express the purity of the grape variety. ‘The most important thing in the wine is the grapes,’ says Lionel. ‘You want to smell Viognier, not new oak.’
The Saint-Joseph Blanc 2018 is made from 60% Marsanne (where the minerality in the wine comes from) and 40% Roussanne (which makes the wine creamy, fresh and aromatic). Lionel explains that Marsanne can be quite rough on its own, so he uses the Roussanne to soften the wine, and the result is a gorgeously floral, fruit-forward wine, which is totally approachable and completely quaffable, with a lingering finish.
Saint Joseph Rouge Hedonism 2017
Drinkability is a hugely important factor in all Lionel’s wines. He is not keen on new oak – he still uses his father’s 600 litre barrel that he bought in 1989, which brings some oxygenation to the wine without the oaky taste.
This spirit is displayed in Lionel’s signature red, Hedonism, which is made from 100% Syrah, grown in the northernmost part of Saint-Joseph, Chavanay. The challenging environment brings lots of elegance and finesse to his wines from here. ‘I like the very wild aromas; violets, raspberries,’ says Lionel.
Vines vary in age from 10 to 40 years old, and as the focus is on quality, there are very few grapes per vinestock. ‘It’s not the same as an apple or an orange, which you want to be juicy,’ explains Lionel. ‘The grapes need to be small and concentrated to make good wine.’ Of those grapes, 60% are whole-cluster fermented, which accentuates the ‘wildness’ that Lionel loves and emphasises the wonderful natural pepperiness of the Syrah.
I had a blast on my first ever virtual wine tasting and thought the wines and the hosts were excellent. I think I might just make it through lockdown, as long as the postal service continues to do a sterling job, which I’m sure it will. Cheers, Honest Grapes!
You can buy these wines and find out about the scheduled Wine Therapy Sessions at Honest Grapes.