2019 Cornas, Domaine du Tunnel, Rhône

£55.75 inc. VAT

Domaine du Tunnel is situated in an old steam train tunnel in the charming village of Saint-Péray in the Northern Rhône. This small family domaine is run by Stéphane Robert and his wife Sandrine. Stéphane, also the winemaker, began in 1994 when he was just 24 years old by renting vines. He now owns 10 hectares of his own vines located in Cornas, Saint-Péray and Saint Joseph.

Stéphane’s Cornas is made from 15 parcels of Syrah from the following lieu dits: Combe, Patou, Sauman, Champelrose, Les Saveaux, Les Eygats, Les Cotes, Les Mazards, La Geynale and Cayret. The blending of parcels from several lieu dits gives the wine layers of complexity and character. The vines are about 50 years old on average and planted on steep granitic slopes which require them to be trained on individual stakes, and the harvest can only be carried out by hand.

The fruit was harvested and 70% destemmed with the remainder kept whole bunch. Fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks using indigenous yeasts for 2-3 weeks with regular rack and returns. The wine was then aged in 4 year old 228L oak barrels for 14 months.

2019 was heralded an outstanding vintage in the Rhône and wines as spectacular as this should be snapped up whilst still available. This is already delicious but if you can lay a couple of bottles down for ten years you will be handsomely rewarded.

“Bright and energetic on the fragrant nose, displaying lively black/blue fruit and floral scents that pick up olive and black pepper notes as the wine opens up. In a juicy, fruit-driven style, offering appealingly sweet cherry, blackberry and cassis flavors and suggestions of spicecake and cola. Finishes very long and smooth, with just a hint of fine-grained tannins and persistent spiciness.” 92-94 points Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com

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