Maison Les Alexandrins, a signature modern in approach and contemporary in style.
Benefiting from its remarkable high-altitude location where it enjoys a cooler climate and the sun's heat, this Cornas is a powerful wine with elegant notes of black fruit.
Benefiting from its remarkable high-altitude location where it enjoys a cooler climate and the sun's heat, this Cornas is a powerful wine with elegant notes of black fruit.
Presentation
Description
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.
Terroir
Located at over 250 metres altitude on terraces containing decomposed granite, the vineyard enjoys a pleasant south/south-east exposure.
The vintage
After a particularly hot and dry summer, the harvest began on August 17th with a perfectly ripe crop of white grapes, early enough to preserve all their freshness and natural balance. The reds followed, benefiting from a few saving rains that gave them more refinement. We favored infusion over extraction on our Crozes-Hermitage and our Brézème, preserving the crunchiness of the Syrah and the very delicate fruit of the vintage. In the cellar, the punching down and pumping for the 3 weeks of maceration released power and character for our Cornas, Saint Joseph and Hermitage. After devatting, a long aging will allow the wines to develop their aromatics, refine their tannins and gain in amplitude. The balance is already beautiful with controlled degrees and a lot of depth.
Location
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.
Process
- 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.
- 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.
Varietal
Syrah : 100%
Specifications
Advice
Tasting
Beautiful intense red colour with shiny reflections. The nose reveals a complex, deep and wild aromatic bouquet typical of Syrah, with superb notes of black fruit which will be highlighted by notes of undergrowth after a few years of aging. Rich and opulent on the palate, it reveals a very nice balance, with powerful tannins which will delicately blend over time and a silky and generous texture. Cornas in all its splendour, this powerful and elegant wine requires a few years of aging to reveal all its extensiveness and complexity.
Food pairings
This wine will go wonderfully with grilled red meats and game. When aged from 7 to 10 years, it pairs marvellously with hare à la royale.
Serving
Serve at 17°C. This Cornas is wonderfully elegant and can be enjoyed after just two or three years’ cellaring. However, the appellation is known for revealing the secrets of its wines after many more years and an additional seven years will bring out its best.
