2018 Cornas Cuvee Jana
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Tasting notes
Saturated violet color. Powerful, mineral- and spice-accented blackberry, cherry compote, smoky bacon and violet scents take on olive and vanilla nuances with air. Juicy and deeply concentrated, offering expansive, alluringly sweet black and blue fruit preserve, mocha, cured meat and floral pastille flavors that become deeper and spicier as the wine stretches out. The floral and mineral notes echo strongly on an impressively long, juicy finish that features harmonious tannins and lingering florality. Made from fruit grown in Chaillot and all whole clusters.
Critic scores
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Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Selected from Les Côtes and Chaillot, the 2018 Cornas Jana (named for Michel's daughter) is a dark, nearly black wine. Scents of licorice and crushed stone join hints of mint and cassis on the nose. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and dusty, yet remarkably not closed-down or inaccessible, with a certain freshness and mouthwatering quality on the long, spice-and-stone finish.
There are two special cuvées from this estate. Looking first at the 2018 Cornas Cuvée Jana, it tastes like the essence of Cornas with its meaty, bloody aromas and flavors of scorched earth, ground pepper, rare steak, iron, cedar, and dark, almost blue fruits. Tight, tannic, and concentrated on the palate, this full-bodied effort packs incredible intensity and power yet stays lively, elegant, and weightless. It's a brilliant, brilliant Cornas, yet certainly not for those seeking instant gratification. It actually reminds me slightly of the incredibly age-worthy wines from Domaine Clape, and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy over the following two decades.
100% Syrah. Aged for 16 months in old oak. Cask sample. Tasted blind. Fruit-cake aromas, high acid, dry tannins, soft texture. Very concentrated and newborn, requiring long cellaring to reach maturity. (RH)