2016 Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Cornas Confidence
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Cornas Confidence is the flagship cuvée of the estate and comes from the La Côte and Tézier lieux-dits in Cornas, both of which are shallow, granitic parcels. It's slightly tighter and more focused compared to the sexier Empreintes and has more cassis and blackberry fruits as well as lots of cedarwood, ground pepper, and earth-like aromatics. This full-bodied, concentrated 2016 has beautiful purity, a ripe, layered texture, and building tannins. It’s a serious 2016 to drink over the coming 10-15 years. Consistently brilliant wines emerge from Domaine Durand, which is run with incredible talent and passion by Eric and Joël Durand. Located in the tiny village of Châteaubourg, they pull from roughly 22 hectares of vines, 8.5 hectares in Saint Joseph, 9.5 hectares in Cornas and tiny amounts in Saint-Péray and Vin de Pays. The brothers took over the estate in 1991, and while the winemaking is relatively modern, these are classic, pure, beautifully made wines that speak clearly to their region and terroir.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
After being told last year that there was unlikely to be a 2016 Cornas Confidence, it was eyebrow-raising when this showed up in my blind tasting. Aged in barrel (30% new), it's a meaty, beefy, umami-laden wine that's full-bodied, concentrated, supple and long. Despite the overall size and roundness, the fruit here isn't fruity, making for something of a surprise and a conundrum.
Delicious black-cherry fruit with fine chalky tannin and delicate spicing on the finish. This is a lighter mode than usual for Cornas, but it’s a lovely drinkable wine with plenty of classic savoury Syrah flavour. (RH)