2022 Cornas Patou

Now from bottle, the 2022 Cornas Patou is rocking stuff. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as powerful aromatics of ripe red plums, black cherries, roasted garrigue, violets, and pepper, it has full-bodied richness, a pure, layered mouthfeel, the firmer, focusing tannins of the vintage, and one hell of a great finish. This sensational Cornas is going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and should have a solid two decades of overall longevity. Drink 2026-2046. This brilliant, traditional, family-run estate is located in the heart of Cornas. The estate's primary holding is the Patou vineyard, encompassing approximately 1.5 hectares of steep, granitic slopes with vines dating back to the 1920s. Winemaking practices are as traditional as they come, with partial destemming, native fermentation in cement tanks, and aging in older French oak barrels for about two years. Bottling occurs without fining or filtration. Production is tiny, with around 1,000 cases produced annually. While not tasted for this report, the estate also produces a tiny-production cuvée called Cornas Henri, first made in 2013, which comes from very old vines in the Patou lieu-dit, is aged two years in old barrels, and is named after the winemaker's grandfather. If you are looking for old-school yet pure, impeccably made Cornas, these wines are well worth seeking out.