2009 Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Cornas Premices

The rich, dense, massive 2009 Cornas Premices is less accessible than I thought it would be when I tasted it from barrel last year. Impressively extracted, pure and well-balanced, this tightly-knit, dense purple-colored 2009 reveals notes of graphite, ink, blueberries, blackberries and creosote. This huge Cornas needs 3-4 years of cellaring and should last for two decades. Two more up-and-coming young turks of the northern Rhone are brothers Eric and Joel Durand, who have produced very strong Cornas wines in both 2009 and 2010. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to taste their 2010 St.-Joseph cuvees. Readers looking for wines with more near-term drinkability should check out Durand’s two cuvees of 2009 St.-Joseph. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800