Wine Advisor
Alain Voge, Cornas Les Chailles 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
The 2019 Cornas les Chailles comes across as slightly weird on the nose, accented by hints of boiled egg. Despite being medium to full-bodied, it's a bit crisp on the palate, lacking breadth and concentration. Even allowing for it being entry-level cuvée blended from several parcels, it's a bit disappointing in the context of this exceptional vintage.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Glass-staining, violet color. Mineral-inflected black and blue fruits on the perfumed nose, along with olive paste, exotic spice and floral nuances. Appealingly sweet and penetrating in the mouth, offering chewy boysenberry, kirsch and fruitcake flavors that are supported by a core of juicy acidity. Chewy tannins add shape to an impressively long, smoky finish that strongly echoes the floral and mineral notes.
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.
