Cornas 2017 Les Chailles - Alain Voge

Cornas 2017 Les Chailles - Alain Voge

Its name was given for the 2003 vintage; before then, this wine had no specific name, it was simply our “generic” wine. Made with a blend of grapes from several named-localities, it is a starting point from which to discover the domain and the Syrah grape variety grown in Cornas. To reach a stage of plenitude, Les Chailles will require less years of ageing than our other Cornas wines.

The entire estate is under organic and biodynamic cultivation.

TERROIR

Syrah vines aged forty years. At the foot of granite slopes in Cornas, with soils more fertile here than in higher areas, bestowing the vine with vitality and producing slightly higher yields. Proximity to the limestone mountain range named Arlettes to the north explains the presence of siliceous concretions specific to the Trias area, called chailles.

2016 VINTAGE

2016 was a standard vintage for our terroirs, with fine weather conditions, but it was a year that forced us to be extremely vigilant to watch out for any attack of fungal disease. Yields were good. An excellent summer followed by a marvellous late summer-early autumn allowed grapes to reach perfect ripeness for a relatively abundant harvest. Everything was well balanced; the wines are marked by elegance, while conveying the typical character of Cornas and Saint-Péray.

VINIFICATION

• Organic certification for the vines and wine since the 2016 vintage and biodynamic methods used.

• Syrah vines trained and pruned in the Gobelet style and supported by stakes.

• Harvests picked manually.

• The majority of grapes de-stemmed.

• Fermentation with natural yeasts and maceration for several weeks in stainless steel vats, with cap-punching and pumping-over done twice a day.

• Maturation in 228-litre barrels for 18 months; no new wood.

• Amount of sulphite reduced: 45 mg/l total SO2 (150 mg/litre authorised in organic winemaking).

• Production: 14 164 bottles / 125 half-bottles.

• Ageing potential: 10 years.

TASTING NOTES

Vintage 2016: "On the nose, this wine expresses aromas reminiscent of the slopes of Cornas toasted by intense heat: notes of sun-warmed pine needles and dusty herbs, with a hint of tarred black fruit inside. This wine possesses the raw character of Cornas, mixing blood and iron, supported by slightly earthy and resinous aromas. Well structured, it reveals a beautiful freshness on the palate. It is mineral and tannic, bristling and twisting, with, at the end of the mouth, tasty tannins, but without excess. A good wine to choose in this year, particularly because it will be pleasant to drink in its youth and also shows good ageing potential. »

Matt Walls - Decanter (09/09/2017) : 93/100