Winemaker Notes
The color is an intense garnet red. In its youth, this wine has strong blackcurrant aromas. With time, the fruit aromas gradually fade, giving the way to hints of pepper and licorice. The palate is structured and has the strongly-defined flavors that are typical from this “terroir.”
Pair this wine with mixed grills such as wild mushrooms and spicy stews made with game.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Also terrific, the 2018 Cornas Chante Perdrix boasts ruby/purple color as well as rocking notes of cassis, black raspberries, smoke game, pepper, and white flowers. With some background oak, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and remarkable purity, this slightly modern styled, yet pure, balanced Cornas is a head turner. It's going to drink nicely for 10-15 years.
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Wine Spectator
Packed with bramble-laced blackberry and dark plum fruit, this bristles with energy while chalky minerality and sweet bay notes infuse the finish. Youthfully compact but very fresh nonetheless, boding well for the cellar. Best from 2022 through 2036.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Strong showing (tasted blind) for the 2018 Cornas Chante Perdrix, which comes from two parcels of vines—purchased fruit from mid-slope and estate fruit from the top of the appellation. A bit herbal and peppery, it also boasts ample blueberry fruit on the full-bodied palate. It's creamy and supple, with just a slight bitter edge on the finish that should be resolved by the time it goes into bottle.
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Wine & Spirits
A big, burly Cornas, this packs its generous blackberry fruit in darker flavors of earth, game and caramelized sugar. It’s rich and chewy, a little rustic in structure, wanting something gamey to match.
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.