1999 Cornas
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Tasting notes
The 1999 Cornas leaves me a bit perplexed. It comes across quite herbaceous on the nose, with melted tar, cracked black pepper and pencil shavings. The palate is decidedly old-school in style, but for me, this is just too stemmy, which detracts from the purity and finesse. I am a huge fan of Verset, but this bottle is a bit rough around the edges.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
From an outstanding northern Rhône vintage, Verset's 1999 Cornas is still youthfully fruity and floral on the nose, offering aromas of fresh red berries, candied flowers and peppery spices, with a smoky mineral nuance slowly emerging. Juicy black raspberry and cola flavors expand in the mouth and pick up hints of cola and licorice, along with a touch of succulent herbs. Bitter chocolate and fruitcake notes emerge on the finish, which features dusty tannins and a jolt of juicy acidity. I'd hold onto this one for a while as it drinks like a much younger wine now and holds excellent promise.
The 1999 Noël Verset Cornas is drinking beautifully with complex, intense notes of meat, saddle leather and earth that are supported by solid underlying fruit. It’s medium bodied, balanced and rich with plenty of length on the finish. I’d consume these over the next 5 to 8 years.