Wine Advisor
Alain Voge, Cornas Les Chailles 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Dark-chocolate and stony, graphite-like, flinty aromas and a wealth of black fruit, as well as a redder thread of plums. The palate is very suave, sturdy and balanced with rich, ripe tannins that grip the dark-stone finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2020.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
A blend of young vine fruit, the 2016 Cornas les Chailles is a full-bodied, supple wine that offers immediate gratification. Notes of roasted meat and ripe plums come together in an open-knit, accessible format. Drink it over the next 6-7 years.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep magenta. Fresh black and blue fruits, dark chocolate, violet and a hint of black pepper on the expansive nose. Sappy, sweet and focused on the palate, showing sharp delineation and lift to spice-laced blackberry, cassis, floral pastille and bitter chocolate flavors. Pliant and seamless in texture, showing impressive clarity and spicy thrust on the gently tannic finish, which echoes the spice and floral notes.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep lurid ruby. Blackberry, cola, smoky Indian spices and potpourri on the expansive nose. Vibrant black and blue fruit flavors are complicated by suggestions of candied violet, olive and cracked pepper. Finishes very long and appealingly sweet, featuring smooth tannins and lingering floral and spice character. I find this to be a pretty suave and pretty approachable rendition of Cornas.
About the Producer
Domaine Alain Voge is a family-run winery based in Cornas and has over time built itself the reputation as a superstar of the appellation and its benchmark without doubt. It was founded many generations ago but was blessed with the talented beginnings in winemaking by Alain himself in 1958. Alain tore up the rule book, updated the winemaking techniques of his father, expanded the vineyards and began bottling his wines himself. With over 70 parcels of vines totaling seven hectares, it is no wonder that Alain Voge sometimes seems distracted. Half in jest, he says that the reason he harvests so late is to figure out which vines are his. He spent some time under Albéric Mazoyer, manager and associate of Alain Voge from 2004-2018, before progressing further and making a start in organic production. Thus, since 2013,the whole vineyard is run using biodynamic agriculture, where an artisan and entirely manual viticulture is practiced on the slopes of the Rhône’s rive droite. Since 2018,Lionel Fraissehas been at the helm. He continues to champion the sustainable winemaking of his predecessors.
