Xavier owns 0.75 hectares worth of Syrah in the Le Blanchard lieu-dit in the village of Chavanay, comprising four northerly exposed plantings between 1940 and 2005. With its lighter, sandier soils, Chavanay tends to produce Saint-Joseph of pretty fruit and gentle tannins, and Xavier’s rides that line—although it offers impressive depth and sappiness due to its old plant material. Aged one full year in 228- and 600-liter barrels four to five years of age, it offers varietally typical notes of licorice and savory spice, with tangy, scrumptious fruit that fully envelops its modest tannins.