Community Tasting Note

• mmoretal Likes this wine: 91 points

  September 29, 2019 - Having previously enjoyed this domaine’s base Cornas, I was looking forward to this Vin Noir, a rarer bottling made from a parcel of old vines.
  
  Poured directly after popping the cork (at about 65F), the nose shows an intensely savory, meaty aroma along with black fruit — plum, black cherry perhaps — and hints of pepper, tobacco and star anise. Mouthfeel is distinctly full and weighty, and there is a powerful blast of tannin and acidity before settling down into flavors of concentrated black pepper, blueberry and plum, star anise and clove. Finish is long.
  
  After a two hours in the decanter, the meaty aroma is even more prominent, fruits now appear riper, more stewed. There is smoke and tobacco too. On the palate, more integrated and harmonious now, still intense but the flavors of ripe black fruit, spices, and a hint of liquorice are now more accessible. The tannins and nervy acidity are still prominent, as I would want from a Cornas.
  
  I enjoyed this wine a lot, and it seems to me an intense, accurate expression of pure Syrah-ness. I happen to love the combination of high tannin, acidity, and savory/spicy flavors which this delivers — on occasion this bottle sent a shiver down my spine! At the same time, I did find it perhaps a touch one-dimensional; in all that insensity and length, it seems there is room for some additional flavor complexity or dynamics. The 2011 Lionnet Cornas I drank recently wasn’t as intense but had more of that added interest, I’d say— both are wonderful and enjoyable now though!

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