2009 Cornas Les Arenes

100% Syrah from the village of Cornas. Part of the vineyard is located on decomposed granite, locally called ‘Gore’, the other part is situated on clay and calcareous alluvial deposits. Fermentation lasts about 10 days and is followed by a three-week maceration. The wine is aged in oak casks after malolactic fermentation. Clarification is performed by rackings. The wine is bottled 14-16 months later. Bright crimson. Light, minty, loose for a Cornas but reasonably complete. Dry finish. Subtle and by no means overoaked. (JR)

Opaque purple. High-pitched aromas of black raspberry, cracked pepper and violet, with a smoky quality adding complexity. At once ripe and energetic, offering sweet dark berry preserve flavors and a sneaky note of cola. Finishes with emphatic florality and a spicy quality.

A civilized example of Cornas, the 2009 Cornas Les Arenes exhibits the animal-like character that one normally associates with wines from this appellation. A stony, peppery meatiness is apparent, but the dominant characteristics are crushed rock, licorice and black fruit (black raspberries and cassis) notes. It is medium to full-bodied and well-made with good acidity and ripe, surprisingly well-integrated tannin. As I have written many times, all of these wines are produced from rigidly cultivated, bio-dynamically managed vineyards. That has been the rule since Michel Chapoutier first took over this firm in the late 1980s. Now, with over 20 years of biodynamic viticulture under his belt, Chapoutier remains committed to this rather radical style of organic farming. He believes the effect is to reduce rot in damp, rainy vintages. Moreover, he has observed that after 10 to 15 years of biodynamic farming, the natural acids tend to be more vivid and the overall pH of the soils (as well as the wines) has dropped. Controversial, outspoken and brutally candid, Chapoutier, who suffers no fools, continues to admirably produce wines that are among the finest in the world and potentially the longest lived. Refusing to acidify, chaptalize, or touch the wines in any way, he clearly wants every wine to capture the very essence of its terroir and vintage personality. In this, he succeeds remarkably. No one has made more effort in resurrecting the once-forgotten backwater appellation of St.-Peray than Michel Chapoutier. Working in conjunction with the famed Michelin three-star restaurant family, the Pics, Chapoutier has produced a sensational 2010 Gamme Pic and Chapoutier St.-Peray, and the first single-vineyard St.-Peray, the 2010 Lieu-Dit Peyrolles St.-Peray, which is one of the greatest St.-Perays I have ever tasted. This appellation is all steep hillside vineyards planted in pure, decomposed granite soils, not dissimilar from Hermitage, but they are located on the other side of the Rhone, facing the city of Valence. The single-vineyard wines, or selections parcellaires, 2010 whites are absolutely amazing, with production levels ranging from 300 to 700 or 800 cases of each cuvee. These wines are for true connoisseurs, as they are expensive and meant for long, long evolutions, but they capture the essence of a vintage and terroir as well as any wines in the world. As for the selections parcellaires of 2010 reds, Chapoutier likes this vintage almost as much as 2009, but feels it is very different, emphasizing more acidity and minerality, whereas 2009 is a combination of pure power, concentration and great potential longevity. Michel Chapoutier considers the 2009s, which are all in bottle, to be among the greatest wines he has ever produced, equaling his finest wines of 2006, 2003, 1999, 1990 and 1989 (his debut year). Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900