M. Chapoutier, Saint-Joseph (Rhône Valley, France) 2016

 This isn’t easy to find in the USA, but the 2016 is so good that it is worth a search…even if that search requires a trip to France, Germany or Switzerland.  Although it displays admirable density, the real attractions derive from the open, vivacious aromas and flavors, which are layered and complex to a degree that seems uncanny in relation to the wine’s physical concentration.  In a word, magical–which is often a word that comes to mind when tasting Michel Chapoutier’s wines these days, whether from the eponymous house or the wholly-owned house of Ferraton.  I have no idea whether the magic derives from biodynamic viticulture (which certainly incorporates explicitly magical elements) or sheer skill or some other sort of dark art…but I don’t much care because the wines are so arrestingly interesting.