Cornas

The fruit for this wine comes from relatively younger vines on a relatively gentler slope; beware, however, because it’s all relative in Cornas, and even the 30-degree Mazards hillside is hard to farm for anyone contemplating working a vintage. Granitic austerity and lifted floral aromatics dance an apparently contradictory pas de deux with astonishingly fine footwork.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

It makes a nice change to state that a winery is far from state-of-the-art; M Paris makes wine in the chaotic splendour behind a large but only half-built house in the backstreets of Cornas; so far, so unpromising. His wines, however, are sublime and it should come as no surprise that he has now joined the first rank of Cornas producers. This is more than appropriate and very good news for us, as we bought the wines from his Geynale vineyard when it was owned by his uncle Robert Michel, and have always considered it to be among the very best plots in the village. Looking at the 2013s, these are impressive across the board. The 2013 Cornas Granit 30 is still raw and unformed, with lots of jammy blueberry, black pepper and meatiness, medium to full-bodied richness and high, yet sweet tannin. It has terrific purity of fruit and should drink well on release.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014

Les Empreintes is a blend of 10 different parcels, most of which are located in and around the lieu-dit of Le Chaillot, which is just to the north of the village. Thirty percent of the stems are maintained but the overall style is velvety and modern. Blackberries and bay leaf inform the nose and then the palate is savoury, slightly oily, with a macerated fruit texture and hints of black tea and liquorice at the back of the mouth. The tannins are ripe and powerful, but perfectly correct for a wine with this type of structure.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

Relatively new to our list, Domaine Durand is based just south of Mauves in the village of Châteaubourg, their ancient cellar located virtually underneath the ruins of the eponymous castle. The loquacious Joël advises that 2013 was complicated, but ultimately successful, with vines that have reached and passed their 25th year, that is to say the significant majority of those under his ownership, faring especially well. Another beauty, the 2013 Cornas Empreintes comes from slightly older vines and is destemmed, vinified in concrete tanks, and aged in 20% new barrels. Dark, inky black, it gives up decadent dark fruits, medium to full-bodied concentration and sweet tannin. For a cooler vintage, the texture here is shockingly rich and polished. As with the Prémices, it should drink well on release yet age gracefully.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014

Granitic vineyards south of the village (on the gentle Patou slopes to be precise) have left their imprimatur on this wine. Extraction is closer to infusion, as elegance is key, the 20% stalks initially recalling a slightly stalky note, but this, according to Joel, will add to the savoury character and tension in the wine on maturity. A creative tension, no doubt.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

New to our En Primeur Offer, Domaine Durand has been ‘in my sights’ for several years. The engaging and highly competent brothers Joel and Eric are based in Chateaubourg just to the south of Mauves. They farm nine hectares of St Peray, seven in St Joseph and 19 in Cornas , where they  belong firmly in the vanguard of the village’s  much lauded jeunesse dorée….their philosophy  favours later harvests, which , they advise with a smile, allows nature to ‘do more of the hard work’!

Our 2012 Rhône Vintage Recommendation: Favourite Cornas
From 50-year-old, south-facing vines, the Patou adds a sense of restraint to the dark, brooding fruit that we want to find in a Cornas, which is indeed also present here, juicy and smooth. The tannins are a little fresher than often found, which gives a lighter feel to the finish and leaves you wanting more, rather than feeling overwhelmed by density.
Guy Davies, Wine Team

Very dark and serious on the nose, with minerality this is typically Cornas. Savoury and structured on the palate, this is tannic but very well-integrated. There's plenty of fruit to balance the structure. Quite a bit going on, a very interesting wine.
Chris Pollington, Private Account Manager

Damien has been doing a lot of work in Cornas and has singled out this plot just to the south of the village for his special attention. They call the decomposed granite ‘gore’ in these parts, for reasons which are not immediately apparent, but it certainly underwrites the power of the wine, which will have had 14 months in barrel when the time comes for it to be bottled.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

Ferreton’s renaissance continues apace; Chapoutier ownership has in no way dulled its distinctive voice and in Damien Brissett it has a world-class winemaker. With such prestigious vineyards on the hill of Hermitage (and elsewhere) Ferraton is careful to manage the distinction between its owned vines and those worked in partnership as a high-class négoçiant.  Whilst we are drawn, somewhat inevitably, towards the former, as our selection confirms, there is no denying the excellent quality of the entire range.

The vines for this wine are located mainly in the lieux-dits of Chaillot and Les Reynards. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and then matured in cask for 18 months. Stylish and feminine, the wine has a high-toned dark fruit and plush, expensive tannins; the perfume is memorable as with all great wines from this oft misunderstood appellation.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

Albéric Mazoyer, the charismatic sidekick to Alain Voge, is positive about 2013: there was no hail in Cornas and the late growing cycle was actually beneficial in this, the warmest of the northern enclaves, concentrating flavour but eschewing excess of any kind. The results are as spectacular as the volumes are scant.

Pierre’s new joint-venture with Stéphane Robert from Domaine du Tunnel exploits well-appointed terroir at the St Péray end of the appellation. The quality of the raw materials allied to the cerebral nature of the winemaker have conspired to make something rather special here, with dark earthy fruits framed by old-vine tannins and a mineral acidity; a great success. Drink 2012-2018.

Old vines inherited from Marcel Juge and located on the mid-Coteaux above the village. This is an earthy, gamey, smoky style of Cornas wines rustic tannins and with plentiful notes of white chocolate, truffles and blackberries.

Pierre describes the 2011 vintage as complicated, ironically as a result of the warm spring, which advanced the cycle so much that it set things out of kilter for the more normal temperatures at other times during the season. Nonetheless, he is satisfied with the results. He detects equilibrium, a ‘Golden Mean’ perhaps, which happily combines elegance and power, its higher acidity making these wines very food-friendly. 
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

A very late plot, understandably given its imperious 300-metre location, Les Eygats is located on steep slopes of decomposed granite high above the village of Cornas. Damien Brisset is delighted with the results in 2013, pure and profound being the words he uses, which are pretty similar in English. Ageing for 14 months sees 10 percent new oak, but all the vitality in the wine comes from the sheer quality of the Syrah grapes.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

We have followed Ferraton for a long time, some of it, to be frank, less than entirely successful. Our confidence has been based on the quality of the holdings in Hermitage and in the fact that Chapoutier have proved to be liberal and forward-thinking owners, gently guiding but not domineering. In Damien Brisset, now firmly established as winemaker, Ferraton has a great asset, as these excellent 2013s show. An early, almost Pavlovian quest to over-oak has now ceded to thoughtful winemaking and, with the 2013s, a very impressive range, the very best wines of which are listed here.

A streamlined Cornas, with tension as well as a wealth of fine fruit – nothing at all overdone or out of kilter like some wines from this area which can be just too dense. South facing vines keeping their cool due to their high altitude seems to be the trick – a fine Cornas from one of Hermitage’s lesser-known lights and terrific value too.
Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager

From the named lieu-dit to the north of the named village, this is a worthy illustration of both the skill of the winemaker and the renaissance of Cornas in general. Herbal and rich, with hints of jambon cru and liqueur-steeped cherry, Les Eygats marries sweet and savoury, Carnival and Lent, with effortless aplomb.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

Ferraton is owned by Chapoutier, but run as an autonomous entity. For a long time it seemed to underperform, almost as if shocked in the headlights of the energetic charisma of its benefactor. The potential of the vineyards, some of which are located on the very best sites on the Hill of Hermitage, has never been disputed. Now, with Bordelais winemaker Damien Brisset firmly in control, one begins to see, at last, the realisation of potential. I am pleased to have ‘stuck with’ them over the years, as the maturing vintages seldom fail to please and the quality of the current vintage gets better and better. 

Les Eygats is located on the steep granitic slopes just to the north of the village of Cornas. Damien has captured the distinctive profile of classic Cornas, with high-toned floral notes sitting comfortably with the more savoury almost rustic mid-palate. Assertive tannins, as one would expect, but very precise and fine on the finish, which one maybe would not expect; a peacock’s tail of elegance.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

The re-emergence of Ferraton as a great producer has taken awhile, and for a year or so I felt that the quality of the wines actually merited greater plaudits than those hitherto garnered. That changed with the 2009s when a commentator who shall remain nameless, offered lavish praise, a praise which I suspect is equally merited with the excellent range of 2010s.Damien Brisset has some very well located vines and is now exploiting their potential with real skill.

The steep vines here are located in Patou, Les Mazards and Saumon and their age runs the gamut from old-ish (35 years) to very old indeed (100 years). The grapes are mainly destemmed and the wine is a superb illustration of all that is great in Cornas; austere, yet generous, full-bodied and tannic, yet with a latent sweetness which will come to the fore over a number of years and provide a perfect contrast to burgeoning savoury characteristics.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

It makes a nice change to state that a winery is far from state-of-the-art; M Paris makes wine in the chaotic splendour behind a large but only half-built house in the backstreets of Cornas; so far, so unpromising. His wines, however, are sublime and it should come as no surprise that he has now joined the first rank of Cornas producers. This is more than appropriate and very good news for us, as we bought the wines from his Geynale vineyard when it was owned by his uncle Robert Michel, and have always considered it to be among the very best plots in the village. The 2013 Cornas Granit 60 Vielles Vignes is serious stuff. Inky colored and loaded with cassis, black raspberry, violets and licorice, it has beautiful acidity in its full-bodied, ripe, polished style. It has rock-solid mid-palate concentrated, and terrific length, so give it a handful of years in the cellar and drink bottles through 2025. Like all of Paris’s Cornas releases, it sees only older barrels.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014

The new chai has allowed more scope for separating the parcels in 2014, and the added rigour in the selection process is demonstrated by a finely drawn assemblage, its rounded generous fruit buttressed by very poised yet persistent tannins and a herbal backdrop. 
Drink 2018-2024.
Simon Field MW – Wine Buyer

Stéphane now farms 15 parcels of Cornas, varying in size from small to very small to very small indeed. Nonetheless they run the stylistic gamut, from 50-year-old vines high on the plateau to steeper hillside plots to the south of the village. The decision on whether or not to de-stem is made parcel by parcel and the wine is matured in barriques of four years of age, bought from our mutual friends at Chateau la Nerthe.  Sweet and savoury notes vie for attention, teasing the palate with an odd osmotic rapport; the 2012 has distinctive notes of cocoa and bay, supported by liquorice, black pepper and game.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

Stéphane Robert is pithy when describing the 2012 vintage; ‘tout est bon....pas de soucis’. It’s hard to argue with such an analysis, especially when tasting his wines.  The Roberts have built a wonderful chalet-like house with panoramic views of Cornas and beyond that Valance. It is close to the ruins of the eponymous railway tunnel, where they plan to build some kind of entertainment suite, although how they plan to do this is not quite clear. Their winery remains in the heart of St Peray and their wines are among the finest in the region.

This 100-year-old plot from the Reyard lieu-dit has been a long-standing Berry Bros. & Rudd favourite; if anything the efforts of the nephew now exceed those of the uncle; be that as it may, the wine is now definitely one of the very best in this fashionable appellation. Inky black, with haunting aromas of violet and woodsmoke, the wine is a perfect paradigm of powerful precision and poised potential.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

It makes a nice change to state that a winery is far from state-of-the-art; M Paris makes wine in the chaotic splendour behind a large but only half-built house in the backstreets of Cornas; so far, so unpromising. His wines, however, are sublime and it should come as no surprise that he has now joined the first rank of Cornas producers. This is more than appropriate and very good news for us, as we bought the wines from his Geynale vineyard when it was owned by his uncle Robert Michel, and have always considered it to be among the very best plots in the village. The 2013 Cornas la Geynale is slightly more perfumed and wild than the Granit 60, with terrific black pepper, smoked earth, leather, meat and lots of black currant fruit. While from a cooler vintage, it doesn’t lack for stuffing and has full-bodied richness, a layered, ripe texture and sweet tannin. It’s another rocking wine from this young vigneron who’s at the top of his game.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014

The wine of Charlemagne is near opaque, the fruits of 100-year-old vines that have enjoyed a mere 70 days of cuvaison. We encounter black fruits, appropriately enough, seasoned by black pepper, beef stock and heady spice. Not one for the fish course, in all probability.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

The news from Domaine du Tunnel is that the eponymous (disused railway) tunnel has almost been renovated by M Robert and will house a naturally cool—in both senses of the word—bottling cellar and tasting room, up in the hills above St Péray. This charming and very welcoming family continue to make great wines and were lucky enough to avoid hail in 2013; the resulting wines are excellent, with the whites boasting freshness and definition while the reds are pleasingly forward. The 2013 Cornas Vin Noir is also medium to full-bodied, with an iron, meaty, bloody quality to go with plenty of tannin. Coming from three separate parcels and 100-year-old vines, it too is classic Cornas to drink over the coming decade or more.
Jeb Dunnuck - Wine Advocate Issue#216 Dec 2014

The decomposed granite slopes of Les Mazards, rather alarmingly known locally as ‘gore’, are the source of this famous cuvée. Twenty-five percent of stems are added to the vat for a cuvaison of four weeks, then 24 months in cask, 20 percent of which are new. There is no Vieilles Fontaines this year, so all the grapes have gone into the Vieilles Vignes, which repays the compliment and is suitably magisterial and complex. Fresh and yet imperiously powerful, this wine will be one for the long, longer and longest terms.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer

Albéric Mazoyer, the charismatic sidekick to Alain Voge, is positive about 2013: there was no hail in Cornas and the late growing cycle was actually beneficial in this, the warmest of the northern enclaves, concentrating flavour but eschewing excess of any kind. The results are as spectacular as the volumes are scant.

Controversial in the best sense of the word, Jean Luc Colombo represents the modernist generation of winemakers / consulting oenologists in the Rhone. The quality of this cuvee suggests that the wines of Cornas are in safe hands.

The supple 2010 Cornas offers attractive new oak in its straightforward bouquet of black cherries and roasted nuts, low acidity, and a tasty, chunky feel. 

Jean-Luc Colombo started to acquire his vineyards in Cornas in 1987. A controversial figure, he also works as a consultant to a fair proportion of other producers and is perhaps well described as the Rhône's answer to Michel Rolland, the “flying winemaker” from Bordeaux. Jean-Luc is very much a “hands-on” producer. His theories, and his manner of putting them forward, have often been heavily criticised by his competitors, but his wines speak for themselves – full, deep and rich.

A south-facing granitic single vineyard, protected by cedar and oak trees, La Louvée (“she-wolf”, this one means) is aged for 24 months and is a beautifully aromatic wine, with notes of raspberry, blueberry and violets evidenced. The palate is silky and extremely long.

Granit 30 is an appropriate name, describing, as it does, both the soil and the gradient of the Parisian vineyard. Vincent’s wines are marked by both their perfume and their purity and this is a very fine example. The wine boasts aromatics of violets, licorice and garrigue and a weighty palate, with herbs, dark chocolate and a fruit character of dark cherry and myrtle.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

Our relationship with Vincent Paris, the unassuming but talented nephew of Robert Michel, was momentarily threatened by what we felt to be far too much volatile acidity in his 2008 wines. Fortunately the error was both acknowledged and rectified; only the very able can be so humble in contrition, and the subsequent vintages have both been magnificent. Having such ideally-located vineyards is, of course, rather helpful in this regard.

The youthful nephew of Berry Bros. & Rudd favourite Robert Michel, who is now retired, is taking on something of an eminence grise persona himself these days, running the Syndicate of Cornas with great skill. It helps to have such fine vineyards of course, many of them inherited. The 2011 vintage he views as less tannic but more aromatic than 2010, to his liking in other words, as he often states that aromatic harmony is the key to a great Cornas.

The famous Geynale site is located immediately above the village in the Reynards commune, its vines chiselled into unadulterated granite, dating from 1910. Dark fruit and massive, monolithic tannins hold sway and will do so for quite some time. Then the sweet and the savoury will start to do battle.

More masculine, study and robust, the Vieilles Vignes cuvée is far closer to most people’s idea of a typical Cornas. Meaty, rich and tannic, this is definitely a keeper and the age of its vines vary from 25 to 90-yearsold. Powerful and glorious, it is sourced from plots in Chaillot, Les Mezards and Les Reynards.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

Clape, Michel, Juge, Voge… There is a hypnotic monosyllabic magic to some of the great names of Cornas in days of yore and both Voge and Clape continue to fly the flag and do so with great aplomb. Fiercely traditional and yet disarmingly modern, these wines provide the key to the reputation of the Cornas that was and the outstanding quality of the Cornas that is now.

A rich, elegant wine with a wealth of fruit and a powerful savoury backdrop, draped in fine tannins, this is pretty much archetypical Cornas, and definitely worthy of cellaring.

Rhône 2009 - Berrys Recommends
50+ year old vines show their class in Dom. du Tunnel Cornas wine. Pure, dark blackcurrant fruit bursts from the glass, followed by a classy, velvety palate, brimming with light black pepper and ripe fruits. The finish is mouthfilling as one hopes from Cornas, but equally elegant. Great balance and complexity at this price.
(Hamish Orr-Ewing,  BBR Fine Wine) No fewer than fifteen parcels, some with 50-year-old-vines, are assembled in Stephane’s Cornas, which was bottled at the end of 2010. Lavender, licorice and a wild hint are all characteristics of the wine, together with traditionally powerful tannins and an elegant finish, perhaps a little less traditional for Cornas.

Granit 60 is a helpful name to be sure as it describes both the soil type and the gradient of the Parisian vineyard. The wine impresses with its nose of bay, black olives and dark fruit. It seems more energetic than its forebears, with sweet hedgerow myrtle fruit and graphite tannins.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

The youthful nephew of Berry Bros. & Rudd favourite Robert Michel, who is now retired, is taking on something of an eminence grise persona himself these days, running the Syndicate of Cornas with great skill. It helps to have such fine vineyards of course, many of them inherited. 2011 he views as a less tannic but more aromatic vintage than 2010, to his liking in other words, as he often states that aromatic harmony is the key to a great Cornas.

Robert Michel, the doyen of Cornas, will never completely retire and has been actively involved in the hand-over to his talented nephew Vincent Paris. This Cornas wine, as one expects from vines dating from 1911, is complex with dense and sweet fruit in very fine balance with the monolithic structure.

This famous plot, passed down from Vincent’s esteemed uncle, Robert Michel, has vines which are now well past their one hundredth birthday.  In deference Vincent matures La Geynale for three more months than the Granit 60, that is to say a total of 18 months, although the casks are similarly aged (two-eight years). The 2012 is riper than I recall on the attack and yet has harder, more brutal tannins on the finish. This is not necessarily a negative observation for a top Cornas.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

M. Paris has now been President of the Syndicat of Cornas Growers for nearly as long as his predecessor, M. Clape.  He is now looking for someone to succeed him, as the rigours of the job do not necessarily bestow much by way of reward, notwithstanding reputation of course and perhaps to be seen in the same context as M. Clape is reward enough. His wines certainly merit such acclaim, especially in 2012, which he praises for its harmonious juxtaposition of fruit and ‘matière’.

Most Exciting Wines of the Rhône 2007 Vintage
New to the BBR list, it’s clear to see why Domaine du Tunnel is a more than worthy addition. The depth, weight and diversity of flavours combine to form a serious yet beautifully made wine; wonderful.
(Jake Dean, BBR Fine Wine Sales Manager) Best Newcomer - Rhône 2007
This is Stéphane Robert's best Cornas wine to date, combining rich dark fruit with hints of pepper, charcuterie and liquorice, all superbly fashioned with seductive skill.
(Simon Field MW, Berrys’ Rhône Buyer)