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."
Blend: 100% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Cornas Chante Perdrix presents a fascinating paradox. It is crafted from vines in the lieux-dits Champrose, Reynards and Saint-Pierre. The first two, Champrose and Reynards, were among the earliest plots harvested in 2022, while Saint-Pierre was the very last plot harvested by Maison Delas. Revealing a broody, introverted bouquet of iris, flowers, rose and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and powerful, characterized by structured tannins and a fleshy core of fruit, leading to a long, elegant and tense finish. Despite its austere, firm character, it's perfectly crafted.
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Wine Spectator
Concentrated and dense, this is still tightly wound. Wet slate and granite notes provide a solid foundation for this red's dark fruit, punctuated by spices and fine smokiness. Smoked lavender and a stylish cedar polish mark the formidable finish. One for the cellar. Best from 2027 through 2039.
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Decanter
Bay leaf, rosewood and cedar aromas, not terribly fruit driven. Silky on the palate, the tannins are relatively supple for a 2022. Acidity is well balanced and the use of oak seems to have worked well, helping to fill the wine out and add some weight and complexity, though it does dry the finish slightly.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Mostly from the Saint-Pierre lieu-dit but with some Reynard and Champelrose fruit as well, the 2022 Cornas Chante-Perdrix is a pure, elegant, medium-bodied Cornas that has ample sun-kissed red and black fruits, leafy herbs, pepper, and graphite aromatics, fine yet building tannins, and a great finish. This cuvée always shines more for its complexity and elegance than sheer power, yet it still brings rock-solid concentration and depth. Drink 2025-2037.
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James Suckling
A bold and vibrant expression of this appellation, but without any of the heaviness or inkiness you sometimes find. Dense blackberry fruit with stacks of baking spices and a touch of hot dry earth. Powerful and slightly robust on the full-bodied palate, where the generous tannins make quite a statement. Long, moderately dry finish. A cuvee of rather early-picked vineyards close to the village with very late-picked grapes from the high-altitude St. Pierre site. Vinified with 20% whole clusters. Best from 2026.
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.