Cornas

Overview

Cornas is one of the smallest appellations of the Rhone Valley. At 110 hectares it is slightly smaller than Hermitage, which is lying just across from Cornas on the Rhone River, and about 20 times smaller than St-Joseph to its north.

It is a rather stunning, mostly south and southeast facing wall of granitic vineyards that have been revived in the last twenty years or so. The arrival of new winemakers, or a new generation of established winemakers, has seen the quality increase in leaps and bounds. Plantings of the cooler plateau above the dramatic slopes are breathing elegance and finesse into the traditional power of the wines. These are by no means lightweight wines and the expectation of a good Cornas is still a wine of richness, density and textural depth … just a little finer.

Key Grape Variety

Cornas is the only appellation that allows only one grape variety – Syrah, which is one reason the wines from here often have incredible concentration, density and depth of colour.

Food Pairing

Classic food matches for Cornas include grilled or barbecued steak and beef, especially when served with dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano, black olives, and mushrooms. Other very good food choices for Syrah from northern Rhone include venison and other types of game. Cornas is also a delicious match for cheese boards, with the only exceptions being the most pungent ones, such as for example blue cheese.  

Key Producers

We offer some of the great Cornas from the following producers: Just click on any of the links below to find them:

• Alain Voges
• Domaine Auguste Clape
• Domaine Vincent Paris
• Paul Jaboulet Aine