Winemaker Notes
Fresh, stemmy oregano and marked blackcurrant notes. A fine and elegant style of Cornas with quite driving acidity. Bright, saline and granitic finish. Very accessible, this is a clear depiction of the vintage and the terroir. From some of the finest lieux-dits on the Cornas slope.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Ripe black cherry, cedar, graphite and earthy tones introduce the 2022 Cornas, a medium- to full-bodied red that’s firmly framed by ripe tannins. Concentrated and layered, the complex 2022 demands at least three more years in a cool cellar to unearth its full potential.
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Wine Spectator
An elegant, balanced, lighter style of Cornas, with winey currant and raspberry flecked with licorice and lavender on a streaming, fluid palate, plus sandalwood smoke tones. Chalky-textured tannins hold everything in check, along with tangy acidity. Best from 2026 through 2038.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Distinguished as a fine Syrah producing zone since the 18th century, Cornas, like Cote Rotie, is made up of vineyards covering steep and hard-to-work, granite terraces. As a result the region’s wines fell out of favor during the mid 20th century when the global market was more focused on bulk wines and vineyards that yielded high quantities. It wasn’t until the 1980s when a group of energetic young winemakers reestablished the integrity of these precipitous terraces and also began making an ultra-modern style of Syrah. The new style didn’t need a decade before it was drinkable and could reach the consumer faster than the region’s traditional wines. Given the new quality coming out of the zone, its popularity once again soared and today a good Cornas can easily challenge many of those from Hermitage. Characteristics of Syrah from Cornas include teeth-staining flavors of blackberry jam, plum, pepper, violets, smoked game, charcoal, chalk dust and smoke.