2016 Cornas Lieu Dit Patou
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
On another level, the backward, closed, gamey 2016 Cornas Lieu Dit Patou wasn't giving up much on this occasion, yet has ample potential in its earthy dark fruit, pepper, and olive aromas, full body, deep, rich, powerful texture, and great finish. It's locked and loaded but needs a year or three of bottle age. This cuvée comes from a warmer region in the southern part of Cornas and spent 14 months in 15% new French oak. I feel as though my ratings on the wines of Ferraton go up every year, and these 2016s are another brilliant, incredibly consistent lineup from this team. It’s worth mentioning that Ferraton is run by Michel Chapoutier. However, they have a separate, designated winemaking team. The only drawback to these wines is that, by and large, they’re made in tiny quantities.
Critic scores
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
I appear to have underestimated the 2016 Cornas Lieu-Dit Patou when I tasted it last year. It looks terrific now from bottle, with peppery smoked meat aromas and plenty of dark fruit. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it's a beauty to drink over the next decade or so.
(made from 70-year-old vines; 15% new oak) Lurid purple. Highly perfumed on the nose, displaying spice-accented scents of ripe dark berries and licorice; an exotic apricot nuance builds in the glass. Then smooth and concentrated on the palate, offering densely packed black and blue fruit flavors complemented by hints of peppery spices and smoky minerals. Becomes sweeter and livelier with air, showing solid tannic grip on a sweet, broad, very long finish.
Sweet spices, ripe black cherries, fine tannic paste and a long peppery finish. All the elements of Cornas in place here, and there is good potential for future complexity. (RH)