The original purpose of this tasting was to taste a small bunch of wines by Franck Balthazar, one of the great classicist names of Cornas, but as our tasting would’ve ended up quite short, the tasting was fleshed out by a healthy addition of bottles from a handful of producers in Cornas and St. Joseph.
The vintages we tasted were from 2017 to 2019 and while the solar qualities of these vintages were quite evident, some producers seemed to have succeeded much better in retaining freshness and precision than others. While none of the wines showed any playful, Burgundian qualities and bright, red-toned fruit notes were quite scarce, fortunately relatively few wines felt soft, clumsy or jammy. Although I prefer the lighter and less concentrated style of the lighter vintages, it was quite a relief to see how promising many of these were, despite the warm and sunny summers.
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2018 Franck Balthazar St. Péray - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray (28.9.2021)
100% Roussanne, fermented and aged for 9 months in used (up to 10 yo) oak barriques. 14,5% alcohol.
Deep golden yellow color with a youthful, subtly greenish hue. Very rich and expressive nose with sweet-toned aromas of honey and ripe apricots, some honeydew melon, light floral notes of chamomile, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of beeswax. The wine is broad, oily and moderately concentrated on the palate with bold, very ripe flavors of apricots, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of exotic spices, light honeyed tones, a hint of honeydew melon and a touch of apple jam. The overall feel is somewhat fat, yet the wine doesn’t come across as flabby or blowzy, as the relatively high acidity gives it good sense of freshness and firmness. The finish is long, ripe and juicy with succulent flavors of honeydew melon and apple jam, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of aromatic herbal spice and chamomile-driven floral character, light apricot nuances and a primary hint of overripe pear.
A very ripe and even somewhat voluptuous Roussanne that manages to retain remarkable freshness and sense of balance despite all its gras. The wine needs to be poured very cool, though, as it gets quite soft and sweet-toned as it warms up in the glass - the first impression was definitely the best, when the acidity was still high enough. What’s the most remarkable here is how well-hidden the high alcohol is, even when the wine warms up in the glass. All in all, this is a terrific, rich and balanced white with a big body and lots of fruit. Drink this like you would drink a Viognier from Condrieu - the fruit intensity and the body are pretty much the same here. Although the wine might continue to improve with age, I get the feeling that it is at its best when its youthful fruit is till on the fore, so in that sense no further aging is necessary. (90 pts.)
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2018 Franck Balthazar Crozes-Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (28.9.2021)
A négociant Syrah made with purchased fruit sourced from a 35-40 yo vineyard. Macerated with the skins for 2 weeks, aged for 10 months in old oak barrels. 13,5% alcohol.
Almost fully opaque black-red color. Somewhat savory nose with textbook Northern Rhône aromas: tobacco and kalamata olives, some fresh blackberry tones, a little bit of fresh bilberry, light gamey nuances, a hint of smoke and a touch of bacon. The wine is dry, fresh and crunchy yet wonderfully juicy on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of tart lingonberries and crowberries, some brambly blackberry tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light olive tones, a ferrous hint of bloody meat and a touch of herbal bitterness. The structure relies more on the high and crunchy acidity than on the rather gentle medium-minus tannins. The finish is fresh, lively and quite acid-driven with medium-long flavors of tart lingonberries, some crowberries, a little bit of sanguine iron, light olive nuances, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of brambly blackberry.
A delightfully fresh and crunchy but also very youthful and linear Syrah that is still a bit nervous and slightly all over the place. The overall style here is pretty light, crunchy and eminently gulpable, so the emphasis is definitely not on the structure, but the wine still feels like it could use a few more years to resolve a bit more and integrate its flavors better together. If opened now, the wine really calls for aeration, so letting the wine breathe for a handful of hours and serving it cooled but not too chilled is definitely the way to go. At the moment the wine is bit awkward, but expect the score to go up as the wine ages a bit more. Superb value at 19€. (89 pts.)
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2019 Domaine de L’Iserand St. Joseph lou taissou - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (28.9.2021)
Named after badger (tais), an animal known to eat the grapes used for this wine. 100% biodynamically farmed Syrah from St. Joseph, 40% destemmed and 60% whole bunches, fermented spontaneously in stainless steel, macerated for two weeks. Aged in old 600-liter demi-muids (50%) and flexitanks (50%). 13% alcohol.
Clear, luminous and slightly translucent ruby red color with a subtly purplish hue. Youthful and slightly jammy nose where a slightly flatulent note of reduction is followed by aromas of blackberry jam, some fireworks smoke, light blueberry marmalade tones and hints of plummy fruit. The wine feels juicy, round and very primary on the palate with very fruit-driven flavors of ripe boysenberries and black raspberries, some brambly blackberry tones, a little bit of sweet dark plum, light sanguine notes of raw meat, a hint of blueberry and a touch of savory spice. The mellow structure relies more on the medium-to-moderately high acidity than on the easy and very friendly tannins. The finish is juicy, soft and very fruity with rather short flavors of ripe bilberries and boysenberries, some brambly blackberries, a little bit of sweet plummy fruit, light stony mineral tones and a smoky hint of reduction.
A soft, mellow and very primary Saint Joseph that comes across as very fruity and easy with lots of primary fruit and very little in the way of structure. The overall solar character really doesn’t work that much for the wine, making it feel somewhat jammy and thus lacking in freshness and sophistication. This is an enjoyable, fruit-forward sipper, but at least for now doesn’t really offer much else. With this soft structure, this wouldn’t be my first choice for a food wine. I hope some aging would tone down that sweet primary fruit a bit. (86 pts.)
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2018 Domaine Monier Perréol St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (28.9.2021)
Made with biodynamically farmed grapes from five vineyards averaging 50 yo, 80% of the fruit is destemmed and 20% whole bunches. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Aged for 11 months in old (2–6 yo) oak casks. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and slightly translucent garnet color with a youthful purplish hue. Very fragrant and attractive nose with vibrant, youthful aromas of blackberries and black raspberries, some floral notes of violets, a little bit of peppery spice, light inky tones and a sweet, red-toned hint of wild strawberries. The wine is light-to-medium-bodied yet very juicy and surprisingly dense on the palate with a somewhat concentrated, even almost chewy overall feel. Focused flavors of game and meaty umami, ripe dark plums and blackberries, some olive nuances, a little bit of peppery spice, light floral notes of violets, a hint of inky character and a light touch of alcohol warmth. The structure relies mostly on the fresh, high acidity, not really on the light, easy and gently grippy tannins. The finish is silky and ripe yet dry with savory flavors of juicy blackberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of raw peppered meat, light floral nuances, a hint of inky character and a touch of rich umami.
A very youthful but also remarkably vibrant, drinkable and delicious Syrah, despite its young age. Usually Syrah wines this young tend to be either too reductive or too primary and dominated by sweet, candied fruit, but somehow this wine manages to avoid both the pitfalls - even when the fruit is obviously ripe and bears the mark of the solar 2018 vintage. Fortunately the fruit never comes across as too sweet, but instead retains great sense of freshness and crunch. The acidity feels remarkably high for the vintage, too. What I would’ve loved, though, was a bit more tannic grip. Nevertheless, this is a superb young St. Joe that drinks really well right now yet shows great potential for future development. Highly recommended. (92 pts.)
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2018 Domaine Bernard Gripa St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (28.9.2021)
The fruit is mainly from vineyards in Tournon. 70% destemmed, 30% in whole bunches. The foot-trodden grapes get a few days of cold soak before fermentation. Aged in 600-liter demi-muids (60%) and smaller barrels, ranging from new to very old (10 yo). 14,5% alcohol.
Deep and dark, almost fully opaque blood-red color. At first the nose feels quite restrained and closed, but opens up beautifully into an alluring, fragrant and rather sweet-toned bouquet of dark plums and bilberries, some meaty tones, light perfumed floral nuances, a little bit of peppery spice and a roasted hint of something smoky. The wine feels rich, very juicy and even slightly soupy on the palate with a full body and sunny, ripe flavors of blackberry jam, some cherry marmalade, some roasted gamey tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light savory woody tones, a hint of inky character and a touch of toasty oak spice. The overall feel is rather warm and a bit on the soft side, thanks to the high alcohol and medium acidity. Fortunately the quite ample and moderately grippy tannins bring in some welcome firmness. The finish is very rich, juicy and moderately grippy with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of plum compote and blackberry marmalade, some black cherry tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light meaty notes of umami and a slightly smoky hint of bacon.
A very ripe and surprisingly weighty Saint Joseph with a noticeably solar overall character. Although not yet “Shiraz” in style, the wine feels noticeably bold in fruit and big in body for a Saint Joseph, not really showing the freshness and high acidity the appellation is better known for. Although quite enjoyable in its own right, the wine feels just too “2018” for my taste - meaning the wine is just too sweet, too high in alcohol and too low in acidity for my preference. Although the wine might get better as it ages and drops some of its lush, sweetish fruit, I doubt it will ever attain much finesse. This is born quite clumsy for a St. Joe, and clumsy it will be. (87 pts.)
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2017 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (28.9.2021)
Made from grapes that have been grown organically on predominantly granite soil. Fermented spontaneously in open-top oak fermenters with 2-week maceration, stems and all. Aged for 24 months in old foudres and 600-liter demi-muids. Bottled with ~50 mg/l SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and slightly translucent ruby red color with a faint blueish hue. At first somewhat underwhelming and slightly stuffy nose with a bit of reduction and dusty, sun-baked earth that slowly opens up to reveal vibrant yet quite dark-toned aromas of ripe boysenberries and fresh blackberries, some sweeter dark fruits, light herbal nuances of peppermint, a floral hint of Labrador tea and a touch of rubbery reduction. The wine feels ripe, dense and chewy on the palate with a moderately full body and rather focused, savory and dark-toned flavors of juicy dark berries, some game, a little bit of crushed peppercorns, light meaty notes of umami and a crunchy hint of fresh black cherry. As the reductive qualities seem to hold the fruit back a bit, the rather muscular structure of the wine is pretty much to the fore; the acidity feels high and the firm, moderately grippy tannins come across as quite stern yet not aggressive. The finish is ripe, juicy and moderately grippy with firm, savory flavors of fresh boysenberries, some sweeter blackberry tones, a little bit of dark plum, light umami-driven notes of game and raw meat, a hint of tangy salinity and a subtly salty touch of olive.
A rather stern and structured Saint Joseph that is still a mere baby and offers relatively little at this point. Although the wine was aerated in a decanter for more than an hour, it still came across as quite restrained and slightly reductive - although not nearly as closed and reductive as 2016 was, even after hours of aeration. Ripeness-wise, this vintage feels quite similar to 2015, but coming across as more restrained and showing more brooding, darker-toned fruit instead of vibrant, up-front and slightly sweeter fruit of 2015. Although it’s a bit difficult to get a full picture of the wine this soon after the vintage, it shows great promise in regard to both its structure and the intensity of its fruit. If opened now, I recommend giving the wine hours of air. However, I heartily recommend letting the wine age for another decade or more - this is really built for the long haul. Expect the score go up with age. Although not that affordable for a St. Joe at 59€, this wine still manages to easily deliver for the price. (92 pts.)
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2019 Cyril Courvoisier Cornas Les Côtes - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
The sophomore vintage of this Courvoisier Cornas label. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, macerated with the skins for 2-3 weeks in stainless steel. Aged for 15 months in used, neutral oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered with minimal SO2 additions. 12% alcohol.
Youthful, very slightly hazy and quite opaque purplish-black color. Fragrant, somewhat lifted and subtly feral nose with aromas of almost perfumes blackberry tones, some blueberry, a little bit of acetic VA, light marmaladey dark fruit nuances and a hint of game. With some air the fruit comes more to the fore, making the VA recede into the background nose. The wine feels dry, juicy and fruit-forward with crunchy flavors of brambly blackberries and fresh crowberries, some sanguine notes of raw meat, light blueberry juice nuances, a hint of olive and a touch of ripe plummy fruit. The structure relies entirely on the high acidity, as the tannins are virtually nonexistent, contributing only a little bit of firmness to the texture. The finish is ripe, sweet-toned and subtly grippy with medium-long flavors of juicy bilberries and dark plums, some brambly blackberry tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light crunchy notes of crowberry and a meaty hint of savory umami.
A pleasant, relatively soft and rather simple little Syrah. Feels more like an IGT Syrah wine amidst all the Cornas wines we had, thanks to its relatively straightforward, youthful fruit, modest alcohol and lack of tannins. Whereas the other wines were quite bold, structured and savory, this was a fresh, acid-driven little wine that drinks nicely now and will probably improve as it loses its sweetest edge of primary fruit, but it really didn’t remind me much of Cornas in any way. (88 pts.)
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2018 Dumien-Serrette / Nicolas Serrette Cornas Patou - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
A single-vineyard Cornas from an organically farmed, 70-yo 1,5-hectare vineyard, the name of which is a play on words pas tout, i.e. “not much”. The grapes are foot-crushed in concrete vats, the must fermented spontaneously and finally pressed in a traditional basket press. Aged for 2 years in used oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
Quite dense and only very slightly translucent blackish-red color. Young and unashamedly funky nose with quite striking aromas of bretty farmyard and flatulent reduction, the latter evolving into smoky gunpowder and firework notes as the wine slowly opens up. After some aeration, more vibrant aromas emerge; there are notes of blackberry marmalade, some inky tones, a little bit of phenolic spice, light sweet plummy tones, a funky hint of bretty leather and a touch of smoke. Although the aromas carry the solar qualities of the 2018 vintage, the wine is surprisingly fresh, bright and acid-driven on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite dry flavors of brambly blackberries, crushed peppercorns, some crunchy crowberry, light gamey tones, a little bit of sour red plum, bretty hints of leather and stable floor and a subtly bitter touch of phenolic spice. The overall feel is wonderfully stern and structured, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, lively and crunchy with moderately long and slightly funky flavors of fresh blackberries and brambly forest fruits, some phenolic smoky tones, a little bit of bretty barnyard funk, light leathery nuances, a spicy hint of crushed peppercorns and a touch of sweeter dark fruit.
A beautifully tasty, serious and positively feral Cornas with a good deal of vibrant, complex fruit, counterpointed by a healthy dose of bretty funk. The overall feel is as structured as I’d expect a Cornas to be, but the wine still isn’t tough or aggressive even though it is only three years old at the time of drinking. What’s wonderful here is how the wine manages to retain its great, juicy qualities and quite exuberant fruit typical of 2018, without compromising its acidity or getting too high in alcohol. Superb stuff that drinks enormously well right now but will continue to do so probably for another decade or two. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)
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2017 Dumien-Serrette / Nicolas Serrette Cornas Patou - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
A single-vineyard Cornas from an organically farmed, 70-yo 1,5-hectare vineyard, the name of which is a play on words pas tout, i.e. “not much”. The grapes are foot-crushed in concrete vats, the must fermented spontaneously and finally pressed in a traditional basket press. Aged for 2 years in used oak barrels. 13% alcohol.
Youthful, moderately translucent and quite luminous ruby red color with a primary purplish hue. The nose feels very primary and noticeably solar with lush, sweetish aromas of blackberry marmalade, some inky tones, a little bit of black cherry, light candied notes of fermentation esters, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of strawberry The wine is very ripe, broad and round on the palate with a full body and juicy flavors of marmaladey blackberries and borderline overripe plummy tones, a little bit of boysenberry jam, light spicy notes of crushed peppercorns, a hint of candied primary fruit and a touch of meaty umami. The modest acidity contributes to the somewhat soft overall feel, so the structure relies mostly on the ample and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, moderately long and quite grippy with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of blackberry marmalade, some primary raspberry candy tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light gamey tones, a hint of cherry juice and a touch of ripe boysenberry.
A lush, very ripe and noticeably sweet-toned Cornas with surprisingly soft acidity and still very primary overall character, lending a rather candied feel to the wine. I was surprised how this 2017 vintage came across as more youthful and solar compared to the 2018, which showed more freshness, balance and good acidity - even though in Northern Rhône the 2018 vintage seems to have produced softer and sweeter wines than the 2017 vintage. Tasting these two vintages next to each other, this 2017 didn’t stand a chance against 2018: the 2018 was wonderfully firm, fresh and funky, easily one of the best wines of the evening, whereas this 2017 was quite modest in comparison, lacking precision and coming across as a bit too ripe and sweet. I hope the wine will gain some balance as it ages and loses its sweetest primary fruit flavors. (89 pts.)
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2017 Franck Balthazar Cornas Sans Soufre Ajouté - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
The young-vine bottling of Franck Balthazar, the grapes sourced mainly from approximately 10-yo vines in La Légre and Les Côtes vineyards. Vinified entirely without SO2, from the fermentation to the bottling. The grapes are fermented spontaneously in whole clusters and the wine is aged for 12-18 months in old 600-liter demi-muids. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and without any sulfites. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish red color with a youthful blueish core. Clean, open and ever so slightly reductive nose with fragrant aromas of peppery spice, ferrous notes of sanguine meat, some inky tones, a little bit of fresh, brambly blackberry, light floral notes of violets and a gravelly mineral hint of sun-baked rocks. The wine is dry, dense and moderately full-bodied on the palate with firm yet quite open-knit flavors of juicy blackberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of tart chokeberry, light inky tones, a sweeter hint of ripe red cherries and a touch of seared meat. The overall feel is quite structured, thanks to the high acidity and quite grippy, ample tannins, yet the wine isn’t too stern or aggressive, thanks to the vibrant fruit that serves a great counterpoint to the structure. The long finish is clean and vibrant with pure flavors of ripe blackberries, some peppery spice, light meaty notes of umami, a little bit of gravelly minerality, hints of ripe boysenberries and cherries and a faint smoky touch of reduction.
A very sophisticated, balanced and eminently juicy Cornas that is still so very young, but - thanks to its very up-front fruit and open-knit texture - still drinking very well already now (unlike 2017 Casimir and 2017 Chaillot that were tasted alongside this wine). Usually these no-SO2 wines can be quite funky and not really built for aging, but this wine is clean as a whistle and despite being open for business right from the get-go, seems to hold much promise for future development. A lovely wine that can be kept for years more, but if the situation calls, can also work as a cellar defender and be popped open while the Chaillots continue to age. (93 pts.)
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2017 Franck Balthazar Cornas Cuvée Casimir Balthazar - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
The young-vine bottling of Franck Balthazar, the grapes sourced mainly from approximately 10-yo vines in La Légre (70%) with some old-vine (averaging 50 yo) fruit from Les Mazards (30%). The grapes are fermented spontaneously in concrete vats, after which the wine is aged for 14-18 months in old 600-liter demi-muids. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and with a tiny addition of sulfites. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish red color. Somewhat brooding yet fragrant nose with sweetish and slightly restrained aromas of blackberry marmalade, some peppery spice, light boysenberry and black cherry tones, a little bit of olive, light floral notes of violets and a hint of sweet smoke. The wine is rich and juicy with bright aromas of meaty umami, some ripe blackberry tones, a little bit of juicy plummy fruit, light salty nuances of olives, a hint of game and a touch of cherry. Overall the fruit department feels a bit closed and the taste is quite dominated by savory non-fruit flavors. Quite high in acidity with ripe, textural medium tannins. The medium-long finish is juicy and somewhat grippy with savory and somewhat restrained flavors of ripe blackberries, some gamey tones, a little bit of sweet plummy fruit, light spicy notes of crushed peppercorns, a meaty hint of umami and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A rather concentrated and quite brooding Cornas that feels quite similar to the equally closed and restrained Chaillot 2017, but showing less structure and depth. Tasting this wine between the wonderfully open and expressive Sans Soufre 2017 and noticeably more accessible Casimir 2018, this wine came across as quite underwhelming. The high quality and potential for future development are obvious here, but at this moment the wine offers quite little and comes across as tightly-coiled and not particularly co-operative. The wine opened a little bit over the evening, but never reached the expressiveness of the 2018 vintage. If you have both the 2017 and 2018 vintages, I heartily recommend choosing the 2018 vintage; just like Chaillot 2017, this wine is going to need a lot of aging before it really comes around. From the 2017 vintages, only the Sans Soufre cuvée seems accessible at the moment. There’s definitely a great wine in the making here, but it’s going to take a lot of time; expect the score to go up as the wine ages. I can see this wine to be pretty good value at 33,50€, once it wakes up from its slumber. (89 pts.)
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2018 Franck Balthazar Cornas Cuvée Casimir Balthazar - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
The young-vine bottling of Franck Balthazar, the grapes sourced mainly from approximately 10-yo vines in La Légre (70%) with some old-vine (averaging 50 yo) fruit from Les Mazards (30%). The grapes are fermented spontaneously in concrete vats, after which the wine is aged for 14-18 months in old 600-liter demi-muids. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and with a tiny addition of sulfites. 13,5% alcohol.
Vibrant, quite concentrated and almost fully opaque blackish-red color. Very intense, expressive and surprisingly dry nose with a huge peppery blast of crushed peppercorns along with bold aromas of brambly blackberries, some bilberry tones, a little bit of sweet cherry marmalade, light inky tones, a hint of game and a touch of olive. The wine feels ripe, open and juicy on the palate with a moderately full body and quite concentrated, youthful flavors of sweet blackberries and ripe red cherries, some peppery spice, light boysenberry marmalade tones, a little bit of gamey meat, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of olive. The structure relies more on the moderately high acidity, as the ample and very ripe tannins contribute more to the firm texture than to the grip and structure. The long, vibrant and quite lengthy finish is gently grippy, although the tannins seem to slowly pile up on the gums, making the wine slowly feel more tannic. Intense flavors of peppery spice, ripe blackberries, some meaty umami, light boysenberry marmalade tones, a ferrous hint of blood and a touch of charred game in the aftertaste.
A clean, youthful and quite concentrated Cornas that is remarkably accessible already now, even when the wine is merely three years old. This was a complete antithesis of Casimir 2017 that was tasted alongside this wine: the 2017 vintage was very closed, savory and tightly-coiled, whereas this vintage showed a lot more expressive fruit and was perfectly enjoyable already now. I can imagine this wine will continue to improve for years more and probably will pick up some depth and complexity too, as the sweeter primary fruit flavors fade a little. Although the solar quality of the 2018 vintage shows in the sweeter fruit flavors and slightly softer structure, this is pretty lovely stuff right now. (92 pts.)
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2017 Franck Balthazar Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (28.9.2021)
The old-vine bottling of Franck Balthazar, the grapes sourced from the revered Chaillot vineyard, approximately half of which come from a parcel planted in 1914 and previously owned by Verset. The grapes are fermented spontaneously in concrete vats, after which the wine is aged for 18 months in old 600-liter demi-muids. Bottled unfined, unfiltered and with a tiny addition of sulfites. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and slightly translucent black cherry color. Somewhat restrained and very slightly reductive nose with nuanced aromas of sweet blackberries, some concentrated plummy tones, a little bit of savory meat, light floral notes of violets, a hint of crushed peppercorns and a touch of smoky reduction. The wine is dense, concentrated and chewy on the palate with a full body and quite dry and somewhat closed flavors of fresh, brambly blackberries, some savory meaty tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light inky notes, a tart hint of fresh dark plums or damsons and a touch of peppery spice. Overall the wine feels quite succulent, but at the same time not that expressive, coming across as a bit closed and restrained. The rather high acidity and textural, moderately grippy tannins make the wine feel pretty stern and quite muscular. The finish is savory, juicy and moderately grippy with long, dry flavors of fresh blackberries and tart dark plums, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of gamey meat, light crunchy notes of blueberries, a hint of crushed peppercorns and a touch of smoky reduction.
A very stern, quite muscular and somewhat closed powerhouse of a wine - although not a big blockbuster by any means. The wine shows great sense of freshness and purity, never coming across as particularly ripe or sweetly-fruited despite the solar vintage. However, the wine is undeniably quite tightly-knit and closed at the moment, not showing the exuberance and expressive fruit of the 2017 Sans Soufre bottling. Instead the wine comes across as similarly brooding as restrained as the 2017 Casimir bottling, only showing more sense of power, concentration and structure. There’s a tiny bit of reduction that seems to blow off as the wine aerates, but the fruit never really comes to the fore. Overall this feels like a vintage that needs another 10-15 years before it really starts to show. Quite impressive now, but won’t offer much of its full potential anytime soon. Might feel a bit pricey for the quality at 49€, but I expect things to change as the wine evolves and opens up with age. (91 pts.)
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