Sourced from several parcels that are clustered close to one another near the top of the Cornas appellation, this is just terrific in the 2012 vintage. On one hand, it shows, very impressive richness and depth of flavor, yet–no doubt due to the big swings in day-to-night temperature in these high-elevation vineyard sites, the wine also shows excellent freshness and purity of fruit. Completely convincing now, this really deserves another five years of ageing to develop even more complexity, and it is sure to develop in a positive direction for a full decade if you can muster sufficient patience.
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, Cornas (Rhône Valley, France) 2012
By Michael Franz