April 4, 2024 - Popped and poured. Still very primary: opaque dark red, nose of charcoal and black cherries. Still a boatload of tannin in the mouth to do with the dark fruit flavor. One senses there is lots more pleasure currently cloaked by the tannin. One might even call this brooding. 5-12-16-9: 92/100.
March 24, 2024 - Deep ruby in glass. Pronounced intensity on the nose. Plums, blackberries, black olives, tar and violets. Medium plus acidity and tannins. Almost Burgundian. Just lovely stuff. Drink or hold.
January 23, 2024 - Lovely blackberries, herbal tones, buoyant acidity - nicely done, with legs to go for years. Somewhat more genteel than some cornas I’ve had over the years.
October 22, 2023 - As I found for the 2010 vintage, the Sabarotte is once again my favorite of the 3 Courbis Cornas lieux-dits. It's a harmonious Cornas, with clear "treble" (aromatics, acidity, minerality) and "bass" (weight, mouthfeel, tannins) in equal balance, especially after a few hours in the decanter. The complexity and intrigue is all there, on the nose and on the palate: a beguiling mixture of dark berries, herbs, and leather. There is a sense of power and aliveness to this wine that is a welcome, fortifying boost to the constitution in challenging times. I would not recommend pairing it with apricot danish, hazelnut milk chocolate, mini stroopwafels, Breton cookies, or the forgotten chocolate chip muffin I found, though.
December 20, 2021 - Deep ruby. Light intensity nose of Leather, gasoline blue fruits and pepper on the nose. On the palate dry low acidity, medium tannin medium alcohol, well integrated and very smooth. Blueberries and white pepper and leather on the finish. A bit closed off right now, clearly well made but not giving a lot.
February 19, 2021 - Expressive typicity and complexity in the nose - blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry, violets, black pepper, dried leaves, straw, espresso, smoke sausage, and dried herbs. The palate's tannin never entirely gives way - even after a long decant. But that nose tells you that patience will be well rewarded!
September 22, 2020 - Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #047:Shiraz/Syrah, Australia, France and South Africa. (By AG): Bouquet with ripe blackberries and other sweet dark berries. On the palate juicy and concentrated ripe sweet dark berry fruits, chocolate and herbs and spices. Very tasty wine.
April 21, 2019 - Beautiful looking wine. Somewhat tannic with a nice streak of blueberry and blackberry fruit.
January 12, 2019 - Midnight dark purple to the very edge of the glass; under light, a little violet shows through at the rim. Sweet blackberry liquor on the nose. Notes of Cigarette smoke, briar, very ripe juicy blackberries, This compares well to Allemand and should age very well for 10-15 years. Excellent stuff.
December 26, 2018 - Gorgeous deep purple with violet edges. Smoky plums and cassis with leather and tobacco and perhaps a bit of blackberry syrup. Absolutely stunning and highly unusual wine; I’m not sure I’ll be able to describe it adequately. Delicious floral notes with black raspberries, violets, undertones of leather, a bit of tobacco, significant crabapple. Super complex and nuanced and really delicious; this has instantly become my favorite after Thierry Allemand’s productions.