Cornas
Controlled appellation
Les Vieilles Vignes
This is our classic wine. The oldest of the Domain’s wines, it was created during the 1970s to highlight the long-standing family vineyard. Vines for this wine are located in the heart of the appellation, facing those we first replanted. Les Vieilles Vignes is a wine that reflects our history and our winemaking know-how.
The entire domain is cultivated using organic and biodynamic viticulture.
TERROIR
Situated on slopes at an altitude of approximately 200 metres, facing South-South-East, the vines of our classic wine are on average 60 years old. Their roots delve deep down into old, worn granite rock, called gores locally.
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 from the 2016 vintage and biodynamic methods used.
• Syrah vines trained and pruned in the Gobelet style and supported by stakes.
• Hand-picked harvests.
• Partial destemming with 20 % whole grapes.
• 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 20 months, with 10% new barrels.
• Amount of sulphite reduced: 59 mg/l total SO2 (100 mg/litre authorised in organic winemaking).
• Production : 13.739 bottles / 524 magnums.
• Ageing potential: 20 years.
THE ATMOSPHERE…
The dish :
Hare à la Royale
“Game in general, and especially hare, is the kind of meat that pairs ideally with the Cornas wine made by Mr Voge.
I suggest this version of Hare à la Royale: the saddle stuffed with foie gras and a stewed preparation thickened with blood and the rest of the animal.
After a few years of ageing, Cornas Vieilles Vignes is a great match for this dish with its hints of leather, pepper and distinct, delicate tannins.”
The chef :
Thomas Ponson, at the “Thomas” restaurant, Lyon 2e
… COMMENTS
2021 Vintage: "The 2021 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is cut from the same cloth yet brings another level of density. Blackberries, blueberries, violets, scorched earth, and graphite all define the aromatics, and it's mediumbodied, with a great mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I put this up with the best in the vintage."
Jeb Dunnuck, 15/12/2022: 91-94/100
