2016 Cornas Vieilles Vignes

Inky ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of dark berry liqueur, incense and peony are energized by a smoky mineral flourish. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering densely packed blackberry and cherry compote flavors and suggestions of candied violet, spicecake and chewing tobacco. The floral and mineral notes resonate emphatically on an impressively long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and a sweet hint of cola.

The 2016 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is similar in style to the Vieilles Fontaines, just slightly less concentrated. It comes from the Combe, Patou, La Côte, Les Mazards and Chaillot lieux-dits and is partially destemmed and brought up mostly in neutral barrels. Lifted notes of black and blue fruits, damp earth, spring flowers, and violets all emerge from this full-bodied, concentrated yet elegant red that stays balanced on the palate, with good acidity. It's another powerful, seriously endowed, pedal-to-the-metal Cornas that will have two decades of longevity. While this estate has been in the talented hands of Albéric Mazoyer for the past few decades, the torch is being slowly passed to the passionate Lionel Fraisse. Lionel has been at the estate since 2012, and I certainly don’t expect any drop in quality here.

In almost every vintage, it's worth the price difference to step up to Voge's Vieilles Vignes bottling. Certainly, the 2016 Cornas Vieilles Vignes is another huge success, with hints of cracked pepper and briars accenting red plums and then picking up licorice on the long, softly dusty finish. Full-bodied, concentrated and supple, it's approachable now yet looks sure to evolve gracefully for at least a decade.