Vinous (94)

Inky ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of dark berry liqueur, incense and peony are energized by a smoky mineral flourish. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering densely packed blackberry and cherry compote flavors and suggestions of candied violet, spicecake and chewing tobacco. The floral and mineral notes resonate emphatically on an impressively long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and a sweet hint of cola.

Decanter (96)

Vines with an average age of 60 years from lieux-dits Combe, Patou, La Côte, Les Mazards and Chaillot provide the fruit for this Cornas. It spends 20 months in barriques, around 20% new. There are multiple layers to the aromatic palate: rosemary, thyme, herbal bitters, blackberry, blackcurrant and loganberry. A medium-bodied, concentrated but unforced wine with no excessive extraction, a subtly spiced finish and sinewy, brushed tannins. Detailed, focussed, structured and textural, this is captivating and true to its terroir.

Vinous (96-97)

Spice- and mineral- accented dark berry, smoky bacon and floral pastille scents show excellent delineation and pick up deeper licorice and olive paste notes with air. Sappy and expansive in the mouth, offering juicy boysenberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that show outstanding depth and are lifted by a potent mineral flourish. Powerful yet lively in character, delivering solid finishing thrust and closing with noteworthy tenacity and youthfully chewy tannins that build steadily.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-97)

The 2017 Cornas La Sabarotte is similarly purple-colored and boasts more black fruits, spice, chocolate, and dried soil/earthy notes. It's full-bodied, powerful and rounded, with a terrific sense of balance and purity paired with ample meatiness, density, and classic full-throttle Cornas character. It might just rival the 2016, which is saying something.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

The 2018 Cornas La Sabarotte sees the most new oak (100% actually) and comes from a rocky, granitic southeast facing lieu-dit and vines planted mostly in 1947. Despite the new oak élevage, you wouldn't know it by tasting it. It offers a monster bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, roasted meats, ground pepper, and chocolate, with plenty of classic Cornas meatiness and minerality. Powerful, full-bodied, and opulent on the palate, with a stacked mid-palate, it’s certainly the biggest, richest wine in the lineup. It's going to take 7-8 years for this to shed its considerable baby fat.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

From a cooler terroir in the northern part of the appellation, the 2017 Cornas Les Eygats is another brilliant example of this wine and the vintage. Thrilling crème de cassis, blueberry, and blackberry fruit notes give way to more ground pepper, granite-like minerality and liquid violet notes with time in the glass. Deep, rich, incredibly sexy, and voluptuous, it has remarkable purity of fruit, a supple, layered, sexy texture, and no hard edges. It's a brilliant, brilliant wine from this great estate.

The de Lorient Cornas La Cabane des Chasseurs 2021 is a quintessential French wine, originating from the revered Rhône region. Renowned for its robust, full-bodied taste, this fine wine provides a distinguished combination of red fruit layers, underscored by subtle smoky and earthy undertones. An expression of the traditional winemaking techniques, the wine is matured in French oak barrels for peak refinement.

Produced by the distinguished de Lorient estate, a trusted standard-bearer in Cornas, a commitment to quality is conceptualised in every bottle. Notably, the de Lorient Cornas La Cabane des Chasseurs 2021, is made from 100% Syrah grapes, hand-picked from the estate's vineyards. Nestled on the steep slopes, the vineyards' granite-rich soils and optimal sunlight exposure influence the grapes' defining characteristics.

As an epitome of expert craftsmanship and Rhône tradition, the de Lorient Cornas La Cabane des Chasseurs 2021 adds a deserving jewel to any restricted wine collection.

Vinous (93)

Dark purple. Expansive aromas of black and blue fruit preserves, smoky Indian spices and olive, with a suave floral nuance that gains strength with air. Deeply concentrated but energetic as well, offering palate-staining blueberry and violet pastille flavors and building spiciness. Rounded tannins add gentle grip to a strikingly long penetrating finish that clings with strong tenacity.

Vinous (95)

Deep, brilliant violet color. Powerfully scented black/blue fruit liqueur, potpourri and exotic spice aromas, along with hints of woodsmoke, incense and olive paste. Supply, seamless and broad on the palate, offering deeply concentrated blackberry, mulberry, bitter chocolate and fruitcake flavors that become livelier and sweeter with aeration. Rich yet surprisingly energetic, finishing sappy and alluringly sweet, with lithe tannins, repeating florality and superb persistence.

Vinous (96)

Inky violet color. Pungent, mineral-tinged aromas of ripe black and blue fruits, candied flowers and olive paste turn spicier as the wine stretches out. Densely packed and expansive on the palate, offering bitter cherry, blackberry, fruitcake and espresso flavors that slowly turn sweeter on the back half. Tightens up on the impressively long, penetrating finish, which features chewy tannins and an echo of dark berry preserves.

Vinous (90)

Inky ruby. Candied dark fruits, potpourri and olive on the nose, complemented by lively mineral and black pepper overtones. Deep-pitched cherry and blackberry flavors unfold slowly with air, picking up a subtle floral nuance and a touch of licorice. Closes chewy and long, displaying slow-building, youthful tannins and lingering spiciness.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

Coming from pure granite soils of the Patou lieu-dit, the 2019 Cornas Patou is another brilliant wine in the making from this small family estate. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as awesome black and blue fruits, ground pepper, beef blood, and spring flower-like aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, building yet ripe tannins, and a monster of a finish. It might need a decade to hit maturity, but it’s a phenomenal Cornas that will evolve for 20-30 years.

Relish the exquisite Jean Lionnet Cornas Rochepertuis 2005, a product of meticulously nurtured vineyards located on the fabled terraced slopes of Cornas in the Rhône Valley of France. Jean Lionnet, a legend amongst winemakers in the region, has implemented traditional methods passed across generations to curate this exceptional drink.

Characterised by a rich, inky hue, the Cornas Rochepertuis 2005 offers a distinctive palate of black plum, smoke, and savoury spice. Its full-bodied structure and robust tannin balance result from ageing in oak barrels, which also instil hints of toasted vanilla. This 100% Syrah wine, boasting a perfect combination of depth, complexity, and longevity, is testament to Lionnet’s commitment to old vines and sustainable cultivation practices.

Enjoy Jean Lionnet Cornas Rochepertuis 2005, a vintage hallmark of Rhône Valley wines that reflects the artisanal finesse amalgamated with the terroir's unique character in each sip. Truly a captivating experience for discerning oenophiles.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

Moving to the three Cornas releases, the 2018 Cornas is brilliant and certainly in the same ballpark as the 2016 and 2017. Lots of red and blue fruits, smoked earth, graphite, iron, violets, and gamey notes define this full-bodied Cornas. With ample tannins, fabulous balance, and a big finish, it's going to need 4-5 years of bottle age at a minimum yet should drink fabulously well over the following 15 years.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

There are two special cuvées from this estate. Looking first at the 2018 Cornas Cuvée Jana, it tastes like the essence of Cornas with its meaty, bloody aromas and flavors of scorched earth, ground pepper, rare steak, iron, cedar, and dark, almost blue fruits. Tight, tannic, and concentrated on the palate, this full-bodied effort packs incredible intensity and power yet stays lively, elegant, and weightless. It's a brilliant, brilliant Cornas, yet certainly not for those seeking instant gratification. It actually reminds me slightly of the incredibly age-worthy wines from Domaine Clape, and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The tiny production 2019 Cornas Cuvée Jana is another gorgeous wine. More up-front and opulent than either the 2018 or 2016, it has a mass of blueberry and black cherry-like fruits as well as smoked game, bouquet garni, ground pepper, and iron. It hits the palate with a lush, opulent attack and has a terrific mid-palate, before the tannins build and clamp down on the finish, showing more loamy earth and mineral notes. It certainly displays the richer, ripe style of the vintage and has moderate acidity, yet the purity of fruit is spot on, it's beautifully balanced, and it’s going to keep for 25+ years in cold cellars.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

Only made in top vintages, the 2018 Cornas Mère Michel is a tribute to Johann's wife and a play on the French song "La Mere Michelle." Brought up in a new demi-muid, it's a richer, broader wine compared to the Cuvée Jana yet still has incredible Cornas style in its red, black, and blue fruits as well as notes of toasted spice, roasted meat, chocolate, and wild herbs. Rich, full-bodied, and opulent, it has a touch more upfront appeal and should be drinkable in just 4-5 years yet also evolve for two decades.

Wine Advocate (98)

The single-vineyard Sorte O Soro had not been produced since 2016, and the 2019 Sorte O Soro is the next vintage after that. This plot has always shown additional elegance, freshness and salinity since he started vinifying it in 2004, because of the altitude (710 meters above sea level) and the north exposure to the Bibei Valley, where the old clone is planted on fine granite sand and quartz soils. Like As Sortes, this Sorte also fermented and matured with lees in new 500-liter French oak barrels for eight months. It has 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.12 and higher acidity (at 7.5 grams) than the rest of the 2019s. It feels very harmonious, elegant and nuanced with some creaminess, with notes of wet pollen and yellow flowers. The palate reflects the soil, with vibrant granite and very fine sand and electric quartz (saline), and it's also round and powerful from the clone that is planted in the vineyard. This vineyard is in the process of being organically and biodynamically certified. 2,240 bottles were filled in September 2020. I tasted the 2019s and 2020s from Rafa Palacios in Valdeorras. For him, these are two very good years. 2019 had a mild and dry winter and a rainy and cold spring that delayed budding, followed by a mild summer with fewer hours of sunshine, which meant a delay in the ripening process. Harvest was more than one month later than usual, and the grapes achieved very slow ripening and full development of aromas and flavors while keeping the acidity. The harvest started in October and finished in November. It's a beautiful, homogeneous vintage with very good wines. 2020 saw a moderately cool and rainy winter and a dry and cold spring that resulted in 20% less bunches than in 2019. The summer was also quite dry but, fortunately, not too hot. Given the low yields, maturation was accelerated, and the harvest began at the beginning of September for Louro and from September 25th for As Sortes. Given the scarce water, the plants had to work harder deep down into the soil, which marked the wines; the silica and quartz from the sandy soils of O Bolo shaped a saline identity and the wines achieved a lot of elegance and balance. It's a more heterogeneous vintage, and the higher-altitude vineyards behaved better. The 2020 O Soro is out of this world. He gave me a quick preview of the very cold 2021, a vin de garde vintage but a challenging year with a lot of rain. They are in the process of certifying their vineyards (organic and biodynamic), but they have some problems in the vineyards with neighbors who are not organic, so it will probably be faster for O Soro and Sorte Antiga.

Decanter (98)

Sampled from a vat, this is one of the best As Sortes I have ever tasted, comparable to the iconic 2011. It's a prodigy of subtleness and elegance. Everything is firmly delicate in this wine. Restrained aromas open up parsimoniously, with a steely structure like a great Burgundy, but with flinty acidity almost like Grosses Gewächs from Rheingau. Despite the fact that the sample was not yet bottled, the wine had no oak influence, just the indication that it had been aged, as top Godello must. Rafael Palacios is refining his work year after year, reaching the magic of the greatest wines. A top wine, and one to keep.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2015 O Diviso felt closed, more reticent, and seems more powerful, despite the fact they did a nonextractive vinification; they did nothing and let the wine ferment at its own pace. This matured in one 600-liter oak barrel, and this is the only red that has a slight note from the oak. There is also a relevant amount of Garnacha Tintorera, so the combination of a warm year, the small barrel and the varietal mix resulted in a more austere and backward wine that is going to require more time in bottle. The fruit is darker and the wine is more powerful than the 2014. It might evolve with time in bottle, because it certainly has the stuffing to do so, but today As Caborcas was singing, and I have to give it the edge. 895 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2016.

Vinous (97)

Brilliant purple. Dark fruit, floral and spice qualities on the hugely perfumed, expansive nose, along with suggestions of incense, olive and smoky minerals. Stains the palate with powerful, youthfully concentrated blueberry, cassis, spicecake and violet pastille flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of zesty acidity. Lingers with outstanding tenacity on the sharply delineated, floral-driven finish, which is shaped by chewy, slow-building tannins.

Wine Advocate (94-96)

Tasted from tank prior to bottling, the 2016 Cornas Granit 60 has the potential to eclipse the 2015. The nose is an exciting blend of flowers, minerals and fruit, while the palate is full-bodied and generous without the hardness or austerity of the 2015. This standout 2016 finishes long, plush and bright. With only about 5,000 bottles made, shrewd buyers will snap it up on release.

Vinous (93)

Inky ruby. Smoke-accented dark berries and cherry liqueur on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering appealingly sweet blackberry and boysenberry flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality. Fine-grained tannins build steadily on a long, floral-tinged finish that leaves a salty olive note behind.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

Paris's 2018 Cornas Granit 60 boasts remarkably pure notes of cracked pepper, blueberries and raspberries. Full-bodied, lush and creamy, it perfectly captures the ripe essence of Syrah, then adds a firm grounding of crushed stone and firm tannins on the finish. It should have close to two decades of longevity.

Vinous (94)

Opaque violet color. Highly fragrant cherry and dark berry preserve and olive aromas show outstanding clarity and are complemented by smoky mineral and spice accents. Deeply pitched blackcurrant and bitter cherry flavors convey a suave blend of power and finesse; a pastille flourish adds complexity. Shows impressive energy and mineral thrust on an impressively long, youthfully tannic finish that leaves behind notes of candied flowers and juicy dark berries. One-third whole clusters this vintage.

Vinous (95)

Glass-staining ruby. Intensely perfumed cherry and blackberry aromas are complemented by suggestions of licorice, candied flowers, olive paste and black pepper. Appealingly sweet and energetic on the palate, offering pliant cherry, dark berry preserve, exotic spice and floral pastille flavors that show impressive depth; a smoky mineral flourish gains strength on the back half. Shows superb energy and mineral thrust on the clinging finish, which is framed by velvety, slowly building tannins.

Vinous (95-97)

(vines over 100 years old vines and no new oak) Brilliant purple. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, Asian spices, incense, smoky minerals and olive paste. Deeply concentrated yet lively boysenberry, cherry pie, spicecake and bitter chocolate flavors are underscored by a building mineral quality. Shows a compelling blend of depth and litheness and finishes on a youthfully tannic note, displaying remarkable clarity and insistent mineral character. I don't think I have ever tasted as profound a wine as this one from Vincent Paris, who seems to be one of the most underrated and under-the-radar producers in the northern Rhône.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Le Geynale is the producer's flagship Cornas sourced from top vineyard sites and old vines. Black cherry and plum flavors are dense and potent but nuanced by violet perfume and layers of iron, graphite and dried herb. Ripe, integrated tannins are appealing already but this massively complex wine begs further cellar age. It should reward drinking through 2040, likely further.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96+)

The 2018 Cornas La Geynale is largely in the same style as the Granit 60, only with the gamey, bloody and meaty character (as well as tannins) turned up a notch. Black and blue fruits, rare meat, ground pepper, and wild herbs all give way to a structured, tannic wine that has beautiful purity and elegance. It's not for those looking for instant gratification, however. This cuvée comes from a single parcel, is not destemmed, and will see 16 months in 2- to 8-year-old barrels.

Vinous (96)

Inky ruby color. Highly perfumed scents of dark berry preserves, incense and licorice are complemented by suave floral and exotic spice overtones. Fleshy and expansive on the palate, offering deeply concentrated blackberry, cherry-cola and fruitcake flavors that become more lively with aeration. This rich yet vibrant Cornas finishes extremely long and youthfully chewy, with building tannins, resonating florality and lingering sweetness. All whole clusters and neutral oak.