2007 Cornas Champelrose
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Saturated purple. Powerful dark berry and cherry compote scents with complicating notes of dried flowers and mocha. Lush, forward red and dark fruit flavors show no rough edges and become sweeter and livelier with air. Pretty cuddly for a Cornas, with very good finishing breadth and lingering sweetness. This is drinking well now.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2007 Cornas Champelrose offers aromas of scorched earth, espresso, licorice, camphor, and creme de cassis in a medium to full-bodied, soft, luscious style. (Not yet released) Domaine Courbis appears to have an enlightened winemaking style, using some small oak casks and picking ripe fruit, but never losing the typicity one expects of these wines. Brothers Laurent and Dominique Courbis are avid believers in terroir, and the top cuvees are named after their respective vineyards. There are three vineyard designated wines from Cornas, all from well-known lieux-dits, that are more similar than dissimilar. The 2007s are lighter than the richer 2006s. 2006 is a strong vintage in Cornas, and Domaine Courbis has produced three excellent wines. Importer: Russell Herman, Berkeley Heights, NJ; tel. (908) 771-9082
Opaque purple. Deep, youthfully brooding blackberry and plum compote scents are brightened by baking spices and dried flowers. Cracked pepper and candied floral qualities carry through the finish, which echoes the plum note. Showing good density and richness today. There are 25,000 bottles of this wine to go around.