The opaque ruby/purple-colored 2009 St.-Joseph possesses abundant licorice, black raspberry, black cherry and crushed rock notes. It is significantly better than the one-dimensional, pleasant 2007 St.-Joseph. This well-known producer is clearly on the upswing in quality with their brand new winemaking facility in full operation since 2009. While Vidal Fleury has been owned by Marcel Guigal and his family for 26 years (the firm’s history dates back to 1781), the “coming out” vintage for this estate is undoubtedly 2009 ... consumers take note. The excellent value Southern Rhone selections from this negociant were all reviewed in issue #191. The 2008s I tasted were all competent wines, with the whites performing better than the reds (which is largely the case throughout the Northern Rhone for this challenging year). The top wines from Vidal Fleury have always been their Cote Rotie, especially their single vineyard offering from the lieu-dit called Chatillonne, located on the hillsides of the Cote Blonde. Importer: William Deutsch and Sons, White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-WINE