CORNAS has always struggled to keep up with its more fashionable neighbours in the northern Rhône. While such appellations as Hermitage and Côte Rôtie have seen their worth and fame soar in the past decade, this small, peaceful village on the west s
ide of the Rhône has never really caught the critics' imagination. Yet anyone who has had the good fortune to taste a glass of mature Cornas cannot fail to be inspired by its richness, colour, density and virility.
Cornas is made from syrah, the tannic grape that creates densely flavoured, rich, peppery wine. In Australia they call it shiraz and it tastes predominantly of blackberries; in Côte Rôtie it takes on a sweetish, raspberry character; but it is in Cornas that it has its most robust, masculine expression. Such is its power in youth that it has often been discredited as "tough", "unapproachable" or "like drinking black syrup". But for those who have the patience to keep it for ten or more years, it repays handsomely, transforming itself into a gentle, soft wine with shimmering fruit and notes of violets and forest floor.
Auguste Clape and Thierry Allemand are perhaps the best-known producers in the region, but for regular visitors it is the wines of Noël Verset that have consistently shown the depth, character and complexity of the grape.
Verset has worked in Cornas for 76 years, managing to acquire some of the finest vineyards in the appellation on steep, terraced slopes of granite, sand and limestone. Fruit was sourced from three plots – Reynard, Chaillots and Les Sabarottes – and blended into an outstanding single cuvée. Sadly for lovers of his wine, three years ago, with no heir apparent, he produced his final vintage: the 2005.
I recently attended a major retrospective of his career with a group of collectors, admirers of Cornas and importers. Assembled in Edinburgh, we tasted our way through 14 different vintages spanning three decades. We started with the 2005, a sensational, uplifting, concentrated wine, and finished with the almost legendary 1985. Unleashed, gamey and brooding in the glass, at its best it showed a soft, inviting grandeur.
What I like about this producer and the appellation in particular is its authentic, honest, unpretentious feel. Unlike a lot of modern producers, Verset didn't believe in doing a great deal to his wines. Low yields, old vines and ripe fruit were his secret, as well as a refreshingly traditional approach – he even used an old vertical press. In short, his wines reflect his belief in terroir.
The first flight, 2000–2005, had a spicy, ripe, powerful feel. Every one of them improved with time in the glass. The second flight, 1996–1999, possessed an unyielding meaty character, with a pleasing wet-stone minerality. The nose can sometimes overpower with a touch of Bovril or old varnish. Full of character, they all possessed a salient purity and authentic fruit.
The final flight – 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991 – showed how it is transformed with age into a herbaceous, well-balanced, silky wine.
Cornas is the type of wine one brings out towards the end of a meal with the cheeseboard in tow. I suspect the appellation will never come into fashion, which is a good thing as its prices are still a fraction of its more well-known cousins.
2005 Cornas, Domaine Noël Verset, Cornas, Côtes du Rhône, France, 12.5%, £24.99An uplifting nose with notes of cassis, blackberry and raspberry. Stylish, with firm tannins. This will age beautifully. Sensational.
2004 Cornas, Domaine Noël Verset, Cornas, Côtes du Rhône, France, 12.5%, £23.99A vegetal nose, reminiscent of the forest floor. Bright, clean acidity, there is energy on the palate that gives way to enormous power and concentration with great length. Charming.
2002 Cornas, Domaine Noël Verset, Cornas, Côtes du Rhône, France, 12.5%, £19.99Dense and dark in the glass, the nose has a leafy, cabernet franc feel. The palate has a spicy character, although with time the wine takes on a pinot noir feel with a syrah undertone. Very drinkable. A delight.
• Stockists: Raeburn Fine Wines (0131 343 1159,
www.raeburnfinewines.com)
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