Maison Les Alexandrins Cornas Rouge - 2023

A partnership between two winegrowers from the Rhône Valley – Nicolas Jaboulet and Alexandre Caso – Maison les Alexandrins produces northern wines in a style at once contemporary and timeless, always from exceptional vineyards unearthed by Alexandre Caso, a specialist in the terroirs of the northern Rhône Valley. Classics with a twist, these wines and how they are aged and blended are guided by the quest for perfect harmony from a very young age. Most of the wine comes from the locality of Les Eygats.

Located at over 250 metres altitude on terraces containing decomposed granite, the vineyard enjoys a pleasant south/south-east exposure.

2023 was a year full of contrasts, which required great composure and experience to deal with the climatic hazards. The winter was mild followed by a wet spring then a summer oscillating between hailstorms and drought, before a complicated harvest period, between August 17 and September 20. A permanent risk of rain and unpredictable weather forecasts required us to constantly adapt our plans in order to harvest our grapes, of good quality and well concentrated in sugars, at their optimal phenolic maturity. At the end of the harvest, the meticulous work was more than rewarded: this very unusual vintage proved to be very promising, perfectly well balanced across all quality indicators. In the cellar, we are pleasantly surprised by the freshness of the whites. The terroirs resisted drought and offer magnificent balance. Low temperature fermentations helped preserve the aromatics. The reds required long macerations in order to extract all the essence of the vintage. The wines from the lowlands are crisp and delicate, the wines from the hills stand out for their density and the radiance brought by the granite. The aging period has now started, the wines will improve and the textures will slowly become more complex in the cellar.

An Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône Valley since 1938, the vineyard lies on the right bank of the Rhône, on the eastern side of the Massif Central in the village of Cornas. The steep slopes facing east and south-east form a natural amphitheatre, shielding the vines from cold winds. Here the full strength of Syrah, the appellation’s sole grape variety, is expressed. The Cornas vineyard is ancient, dating back to Roman times. Romans are said to be responsible for the terraced structure and the first chaillées (dry stone walls). The first written evidence of vineyards in the area dates back to the 10th century, when the Canon of Viviers mentioned that the church in Cornas was “surrounded by vines”. A document from 1763 also speaks about the “powerful wine” produced in the village.

- Pre-fermentation cold maceration to develop the fruit.
- Maceration and fermentation for about 20 days with pumping over for the first few days and then punching down towards the end.
- Ageing in barrels of one and two wines for 15 months.