Cornas

Eponymous slopes, suitably adroit, from the near homophone lieu-dit, Les Chailles, host one of Alain’s most sublime pieces of work. Syrah is seldom as expressive in youth, and after only a little time in glass it will cede a cornucopia of woodland magic. Oak plays its part, but discretely, diplomatically, as the fruit rejoins an almost painfully eloquent soliloquy. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

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.

Brilliant purple. Powerful, mineral-tinged cherry and blackberry scents, along with notes of bacon fat, licorice, potpourri and pungent flowers. Pure, concentrated and energetic on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit flavors that gain weight and become sweeter with air. Closes extremely long, sappy and sweet, juicy acidity adding lift and cut to the blue-fruit-dominated, youthfully tannic finish.
Josh Raynolds, Vinous (winter 2015)

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 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 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 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.

Yves’ passion and energy is well-known and it was warming to see his reaction to our own enthusiasm for this cuvée, which was one we had not planned to buy. Like the best Cornas, it has a ‘lift’ to it with plenty of fresh, generous fruit. Easy on the ‘abv’ too, a really fine example of a Cornas that will develop very well mid-term.
Tom Cave - Cellar Plan Manager 

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.

The vines for this wine are located mainly in the lieus-dits of Chaillot and Les Reynards. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and then matured in cask for 10months. The 2010 is deep of colour, with a nose of smoked raspberry and peat, with cloves and violets providing an aromatic back-drop. The tannins are relatively tame, and the finish as warm as a Mediterranean evening.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

2010 marks a spectacular return to form for this excellent Domaine which is based in St Peray and which has been no stranger to BBR over the years. . From the more traditional end of the spectrum, which in terms of Cornas means wines of incalculable gravitas, the Voge wines are now vinified by Chapoutier alumnus, Albert Mazoyers, and have never been better...

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.

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.

The Patou vineyards have yielded a ripe and warmly textured wine, with notes of cassis, eucalypt and mocha evidenced. Slight high-toned, the core of the wine is plump and reassuring.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

Located in the shadows of the spire of the village’s impressive church, Domaine Dumien-Serrette is unassuming and understated, unlike the wines of course, which glory in ripeness and fruit. Gilbert Serrette blends from barrique and larger vats, filled at this stage with the fruits that are distinguished only by whether or not their vines were located en coteau or en demi-coteau. He cites 2011 as an easier and less rustic vintage than 2010; the chronology and tempo of its evolution set in train by a rapid harvest on 14^th and 15^th September.

The age of the vines here varies from 25 to 90 years old, sourced from plots in Le Chaillot, Les Mezards and les Reynards. A near opaque colour with an iridescent sheen cedes to a fantastic bejewelled palate, which seems to be both modern and traditional at the same time, such is its creamy richness and its fine savoury finish.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

2010 marks a spectacular return to form for this excellent Domaine which is based in St Peray and which has been no stranger to BBR over the years. . From the more traditional end of the spectrum, which in terms of Cornas means wines of incalculable gravitas, the Voge wines are now vinified by Chapoutier alumnus, Albert Mazoyers, and have never been better...

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.

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. 

Old vines inherited from Marcel Juge and located on the mid-Coteaux above the village. Impressive ripe tannins with an authoritative mid-palate, dominated by mature cassis, crushed rock and an almost balsamic texture.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

The Medieval village of Malleval, perched high above the serpentine Rhône, provides a suitably lofty homestead for Pierre Gaillard, one of the most influential and highly respected vignerons in the valley. His legacy seems to be in good hands, if our tasting with his daughter Jeanne and son Pierre-Antoine is anything to go by. This was a fascinating (and lengthy!) barrel tasting, rehearsing the minutiae of differences between parcels and underlining the sheer quality of the vintage.

The Chailles is sourced from 12 different plots on granitic terraces, mainly above the village itself. After a generous four week maceration, it is aged for sixteen months in cask, the wood generally five or six years old. The wine is tightly sprung, with aromatics of violets, raspberry and bitumen and then a core which is rich, ripe and generously textured.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer

Alain Voge is one of the doyens of Cornas. He was unwell when I last visited in November, so we all wish him well. His long-standing and highly able partner Albéric de Mazoyer has kept the ship afloat with his customary brilliance and 2012 looks brilliant indeed, especially at the top end of this range. He praises the vintage for its charm and concentration, citing it as a year that is low on yield, high on aromatics and very high on quality.

Vin Noir is the famous and far from inappropriate sobriquet of all wine from Cornas, deemed to date from the time of Charlemagne. This example certainly lives up to the name. More tannic and unyielding than the straight Cornas, the wine is sauvage in the extreme with notes of tar, liquorice and boot leather to the fore and yet, beneath all that, a kernel of sweet fruit that will eventually, inevitably, blossom. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer

A classic blend from vines of up to 55 years of age,
with 30 percent of the stems preserved in the
assemblage, this is an outstanding Cornas which
effortlessly combines rich, dark fruit with hints of
pepper, scrub, charcuterie and liquorice. The tannins
are poised and delicate, antithetical to the popular
concept of Cornas, yet gently, quietly persuasive and
running along the boardwalk of the wine’s powerful
and far from pedestrian appeal. Drink 2022-2028.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer