Cornas
Controlled appellation
Les Chailles
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.
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.
2021 VINTAGE
An opposite vintage…The historical frost on April 8th hit our vineyard in Saint-Péray and the bottom of Cornas, after a too hot episode in February.50 % in Saint-Péray were finally lost, and only 2 wines were produced: Harmonie and Fleur de Crussol, showing a very beautiful quality, coming from the freshness of the season.In Cornas, the yields of the slops have almost compensated the missing frozen harvest. The very rainy (896 mm/m²) and late season (harvest from September 13th to October 2nd) offer an “old-school” vintage, fresh, delicate and smooth, with lower level of alcohol, but less time lag between alcoholic and phenolic ripeness than in the hot and dry vintages.
OUR VINE GROWING AND WINEMAKING
• 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: a total of 52 mg/l of SO2 (100 mg/l authorised in organic winemaking).
• Production: 16.895 bottles / 249 magnums.
• Ageing potential: 10 years.
THE ATMOSPHERE…
The dish :
Chicken-liver mousse with sweet wine and cep mushrooms.
The chef :
Max Van Haecken, at “Le Jardin des Délices” restaurant, Lyon 7e.
… COMMENTS
2021 Vintage: “The younger vine cuvée from this great estate is the 2021 Cornas Les Chailles, which is from a mix of terroirs. Its deeper ruby hue is followed by a solid perfume of ripe blackberries, red plums, ground pepper, and flowery incense. This carries to a medium-bodied Cornas with bright acidity, a supple, layered mouthfeel, and just ripe tannins. It should be an outstanding wine and certainly does well in the vintage.”
Jeb Dunnuck (15/12/2022): 89-91/100
