Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
Hot tarmac and bonfire ash aromas - decidedly smoky, with herbal undertones. Medium- to full-bodied, there's no lack of ripeness, it's concentrated too, if not massive in size, so quite a compact style of Cornas. The tannins are vibrant, intense, textural and classic for the appellation - so you'll need to wait for them to settle. Fresh, intense, well balanced and will last.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Made by Emmanuelle Verset and coming from a mix of Mazard, Champelrose, La Côte, Les Côtes, and Reynard, the 2021 Cornas was not destemmed and spent 15 months in a mix of used barrels and larger vessels. Coming from a cooler year, it has a semi-opaque ruby hue as well as a classic perfume of juicy darker berries, peppery herbs, underbrush, violets, and assorted floral nuances. All about finesse and elegance on the palate, it's medium-bodied, has supple, refined tannins, beautiful overall balance, and outstanding length. I wasn't able to taste this estate during my trip through the Rhône but was able to source a bottle (magnum no less) stateside.
-
Wine Spectator
Shows good volume for the lean vintage, with an earthy, forest floor dimension to its dark fruit and fresh white pepper. Humus, cumin and floral highlights add unique aromatic intrigue. The tannins are grippy but moving toward elegant on the medium-bodied finish. Best from 2025 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.