Both of the Saint Josephs are noteworthy, yet should be consumed over the near term. Better, and close to my favorite of the reds, the 2003 Saint Joseph La Dame Brune offers loads of cured meats, leather, wild herbs and mature, evolved fruit on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied, voluptuous and textured, it too needs consuming over the coming 2-3 years. While all of these reds were noteworthy, winemaker Christine Vernay has dramatically increased the quality of the reds at this estate in recent years, and I think the best is yet to come. While I generally feel Condrieu show best in their first 3-5 years of life, all three of these efforts from Georges Vernay were stunning. They certainly make me open up my drink windows on these wines.