1991 Noël Verset Cornas

From a vintage that continues to impress, Verset's 1991 Cornas is youthfully bright and ruby-red in color, with lively cherry pit, redcurrant, floral pastille and rhubarb aromas that are complicated by notes of olive and cracked pepper. The wine puts on weight and takes a darker turn with air, picking up notes of mulberry and bitter chocolate. Smooth, sweet and smoky on the finish, with only a trace of gentle tannins that sneak in late and add gentle grip. It's fully mature but I suspect that there's at least another decade of pleasurable drinking ahead here.

From ancient vines planted on steep terraces above his tiny, dark, dinghy cellar, Verset consistently produces the finest wine from Cornas. The 1991 (from an underrated vintage for northern Rhone appellations such as Condrieu, Cote Rotie and Cornas) possesses a dense, opaque black/purple color and a huge, sweet perfume of cassis, truffles, and licorice. Exceptionally opulent and super-concentrated with low acidity, this full-bodied wine is ideal for drinking over the next 10-12 years. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA.

Bright ruby-red. Expressive, vibrant aromas of dried cherry, red berries, animal fur and black olive; showed a liqueur-like note of framboise as it opened in the glass. Juicy and quite firm in the mouth, with strong acidity giving shape to the crystallized berry flavors. Still distinctly unyielding in the middle palate and evolving slowly. But powerful, fresh and intensely flavored. Finishes with terrific cut and firm tannins. An impressively built wine that will still benefit from four or five years of additional aging.