Winemaker Notes
The four hectares of vines here are rooted deep in granite and planted in 1910. The mineral intensity coaxed out of these low yielding vines exemplify Cornas being powerful and built to last with layer upon layer that will evolve in bottle and glass.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Expressive nose of blackberries, cassis, black pepper, smoke and sweet spices. Medium body with finely grained tannins and fresh acidity. Impressive volume on the mid-palate with a grainy texture. Balanced with a restrained power. It’s concentrated and well-rounded. Long and focused finish with peppery notes. A reference for the appellation in this fresher vintage.
-
Decanter
A gorgeous nose, fresh, precise and surprisingly aromatic for a Cornas. The smoky oak and peppery Syrah spice combine well. Not massive, this is actually quite lean and precise, but there’s a great sense of energy and focus. The tannins are intense, quite sharp and bony, but should round out in time. The acidity is really quite intense, this will always be a brisk, athletic Cornas, but should make some complex old bones. Fairly long finish. Whole-bunch fermented from 100-year-old vines grown in Reynard. Aged in used barrels, no new oak. 5,000 bottles made.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The clear standout is the 2021 Cornas La Geynale, a classic, old school-styled beauty offering meaty, iron-laced red and black fruits, medium body, building tannins, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's up with the crème de la crème of the vintage.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.