Domaine Courbis - Cornas Les Eygats 2020

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The one hectare, single-vineyard, terraced Cornas Les Eygats site is situated at a relatively high 250 meters of altitude. It has pure, decomposed granite soil and an ideal south-east exposure. The vines are 20 years old. Les Eygats is the last to be harvested. Benefits from 3 weeks of vatting to extract as much color and flavor as possible. It is aged entirely in barriques for 16 months, of which 50% are new and 50% one-year old. A highly concentrated wine, packed with mineral-tinged smoky black fruit that can age for many years but is always inviting when young.

Domaine Courbis Description

The origins of the Courbis family estate date back to the 16th century. More recently, the brothers Dominique and Laurent Courbis have succeeded their father, Maurice, who was the mayor of Chateaubourg, their hometown.

All the grapes are harvested by hand and yields are kept to an average of 30 hl/ha. The fruit is 100% destemmed and the maceration period for the Syrahs lasts between two and three weeks. The wines mature in oak casks which are new or up to three years old. The red wines are fined with egg whites but not filtered and are bottled between two and three years of the harvest.

The wines of the Courbis estate are some of the most compelling examples of St. Joseph and Cornas being made today. The Courbis brothers have combined their long family experience with a modern style and this has earned them international recognition. Robert Parker sums it up in his book on Rhone wines: “Courbis is a name to watch in the Northern Rhone.” Courbis wines regularly receive rave reviews in Wine Spectator, International Wine Cellar, The Wine Advocate and Revue du Vin de France.

Jeb Dunnuck: 96 Points

The 2020 Cornas Les Eygats tightens things up considerably and is more focused and precise, with beautiful cassis and black cherry fruits as well as notes of iron, ground pepper, violets, and incense. Rich, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, it has notable acidity, fine, firmer tannins, beautiful purity, and a great finish. It needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years. but it's fabulous stuff and will have 15-20 years of overall longevity.

Vinous: 95-97 Points

Dark purple. Vibrant, expansive aromas of spice-accented dark berries, minerals and candied flowers pick up suggestions of olive, vanilla and smoky bacon with air. Sappy and energetic in style, offering intense blackberry, bitter cherry, licorice, black pepper and mocha flavors that turn sweeter as the wine opens up. Finishes spicy, youthfully tannic and impressively long, leaving resonating floral and spice notes behind. (JR) (12/2022)