This an excellent Cornas from Ludovic Courbis and the 2019 vintage. Cornas, always a syrah, is generally deeply coloured in the glass, as is the case here. This wine has aromas of dark fruits and liquorice. Its palate is medium to full bodied and has spicy long length and chalky tannins on the finish. Its chalky tannins add complexity and interest. Cornas sometimes can be gamey and rustic and in that guise have more “niche appeal”. For the consumer navigating a variety of shiraz and syrah styles, this wine’s character is more of a warmer climate syrah style, without the pepper of a Saint-Joseph in the northern Rhône valley or Hawkes Bay in New Zealand, and with a black fruit character that, while robust and clean in the context of the northern Rhône Valley, is lighter and less fruit driven than full bodied, high intensity expressions of South Australian shiraz. This is a top quality Cornas that can be approached now. Review Rating: Very Good (★★★★, 91 points). Website: NA. Tasted: April 2024.
