Domaine du Coulet Cornas Brise Cailloux 2020
Domaine du Coulet
Matthieu Barret farms these granite-slope vineyards with minimal intervention, and Brise Cailloux — meaning 'stone breaker' — is an apt name. This is Cornas that demands patience: give it thirty minutes in the glass and it will reward you with one of the Northern Rhône's most compelling expressions of Syrah. Serious wine for serious drinkers.
Nose
Crushed dark berries and violets rise immediately, followed by cracked black pepper and a note of smoked meat. Beneath the fruit, a granite-like minerality and cedar wood add depth and tension.
Palate
Dense and deeply concentrated without heaviness. Dark cherry fruit and blackcurrant are framed by fine-grained tannins and a savory, almost meaty midpalate. The granite terroir shows in the wine's taut, mineral-driven structure. Fresh mint and violet reappear as the wine opens.
Finish
Long and gripping with blackcurrant and toasted oak. The tannins resolve slowly, with a persistent violet echo.
- Varietal
- Syrah
- Blend
- 100% Syrah
- Vineyards
- Granite terraces on the south-facing slopes of Cornas
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Braised lamb shoulder with rosemary and roasted root vegetables
Matthieu Barret tends precipitous granite terraces in Cornas with organic methods and a philosophical commitment to coaxing the terroir's voice from every vine — work so grueling it earned the cuvée its name, 'stone breaker.'
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois Poulsard de l'Uva Arbosiana 2021
Domaine de la Tournelle
A masterclass in restraint. Poulsard at its most transparent — a red wine that whispers rather than declares, defined as much by what's absent as by what remains.
Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Les Guiraudes 2020
Domaine Alain Graillot
Les Guiraudes is Graillot's parcel selection — a step up from the standard Crozes that shows what this appellation can achieve when the vines are old and the hand is confident. The 2020 vintage's warmth gives extra generosity, but the wine never loses its Syrah identity: earthy, peppery, and built on structure rather than sweetness. Outstanding value for Northern Rhône Syrah of this caliber.
Domaine Gauby Les Calcinaires Côtes Catalanes Rouge 2022
Domaine Gauby
Gérard and Lionel Gauby farm biodynamically in the arid foothills of the Pyrenees, and their entry-level red captures the wildness of the Roussillon landscape. This is a wine with more tension and complexity than its price suggests. Drink it slightly cool and let it open over an hour.
Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvée Pic Saint-Loup 2020
Domaine de l'Hortus
Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvée is a masterful expression of Pic Saint-Loup — a region where the altitude and dramatic temperature swings between day and night produce wines of remarkable freshness despite the Mediterranean heat. This is serious Languedoc red at a fraction of Rhône Valley prices.