Wine Advisor
Alain Voge, Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Impressive depth and detail with swirling, fragrant complexity of ripe blackberries and plenty of dark minerals. The oak is dialed-up, but the old-vine fruit is up to it. Concentrated, dense tannins, long, dark-fruit flavors and a bright future. From organically grown grapes. Try in 2022.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
In almost every vintage, it's worth the price difference to step up to Voge's Vieilles Vignes bottling. Certainly, the 2016 Cornas Vieilles Vignes is another huge success, with hints of cracked pepper and briars accenting red plums and then picking up licorice on the long, softly dusty finish. Full-bodied, concentrated and supple, it's approachable now yet looks sure to evolve gracefully for at least a decade.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Inky ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of dark berry liqueur, incense and peony are energized by a smoky mineral flourish. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering densely packed blackberry and cherry compote flavors and suggestions of candied violet, spicecake and chewing tobacco. The floral and mineral notes resonate emphatically on an impressively long, penetrating finish that features mounting tannins and a sweet hint of cola.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep bright-rimmed violet. Powerful, mineral-accented black currant, potpourri, olive paste and woodsmoke scents are sharpened by a peppery topnote. Displays impressive clarity and dark fruit thrust on the palate, offering smoke-tinged black and blue fruit and spicecake flavors and a suave suggestion of candied violet. The juicy, expansive finish is framed by velvety tannins and features a strong echo of floral pastilles.
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.
