The provenance for this wine are Syrah vines with an average age of over 60 years old in several parcels in the heart of Cornas. Of note are the the vineyards of Champelrose, Reynard & Les Mazards where many of the vines are over 100 years old.
Nothing fancy when it comes to winemaking where during the maceration & fermentation process the cap is punched down daily with an added pump-over, keeping the cap moist while ensuring the gentle extraction of tannins and fruit. Where in the past, Emmanuelle’s forefathers might have punched down the cap several times a day, producing wines of higher dry extract that needed years to resolve, this gentle cuvaison results in plenty of structure that is coated with a more approachable range of aromatics making this a stunning Cornas after “just” 5-10 years of cellaring. The wine is aged in mostly neutral 225-400L barrels for 16-18 months before bottling without fining or filtration.
Fresh, stemmy oregano and marked blackcurrant notes. A fine and elegant style of Cornas with quite driving acidity. Bright, saline and granitic finish. Very accessible, this is a clear depiction of the vintage and the terroir. From some of the finest lieux-dits on the Cornas slope. No destemming.
Matt Walls-Decanter-94 points