2018 Cornas Renaissance
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Tasting notes
Deep, glistening violet color. Pungent, mineral-laced dark berry and cherry aromas are complemented by suggestions of licorice, smoked meat and exotic spices. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering juicy blackberry, bitter cherry, smoky bacon and violet pastille flavors that become sweeter with air. Smoothly melds richness and energy and finishes very long and smoky, with solid, spicy thrust and velvety, slow-building tannins. 100% whole clusters.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
I was also able to taste the 2018s from bottle. Starting with the 2018 Cornas Renaissance, it has plenty of meaty, gamey nuances as well as ample red and black fruits, full body, ripe, supple tannins, and classic Cornas ground pepper, violets, and spice. It has plenty of up-front charm and will keep for 15+ years.
The 2018 Cornas Renaissance shows less of the vintage's sunbaked character than you might expect, boasting floral notes and fresh red plum fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, silky in feel and even a touch crisp on the long finish. It should be reasonably long lived, drinking well through at least 2035.
Powerful, mineral-driven aromas of ripe black/blue fruits, candied flowers, olive, musky earth and exotic spices. Densely packed and animated on the palate, offering bitter cherry, blueberry and spicecake flavors that unwind slowly with air and show fine delineation. The blue fruit and floral notes drive an impressively long, spice-laced finish that's given shape by fine-grained, slowly building tannins.