Paul Jaboulet Aine Domaine de Saint Pierre, Cornas

A full bodied, yet elegant Cornas, with a fresh, spicy bouquet of raspberry, Morello cherry and subtle smoky notes. Beautifully structured, with supreme balance and a long, supple finish.

Producer Note

Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in 1834 and cultivates the iconic terroirs from the northern Rhône Valley across seven appellations. Family owned by the Frey family since 2006, talented winemaker Caroline Frey and her team implement heroic viticulture techniques on the unique, heritage landscapes. Following a long tradition in preserving and working the land, the Frey family are pioneers in biodiversity, with a nine hectare wildlife reserve and ecosystem preservation efforts. Since 2016, the vineyards have been certified AB organic and since 2021 the entire vineyard has been cultivated biodynamically and with a regenerative approach. The variety of soils and multitude of terroirs shape the distinctive character of their wines. Caroline is dedicated to crafting exceptional wines following a philosophy that when the grape varieties are in perfect harmony with the terroir, they reveal their finest expression. These are exquisite wines which beautifully reflect the nuances of their origins.

Vineyard

The vineyard is located on the eastern slope of the Massif Central, on the right bank of the Rhône River, in the commune of Cornas. In Celtic, Cornas means ‘scorched earth’. Cornas’ vineyards are very old, dating from ancient times. Legend has it that Charlemagne himself tasted the wine when travelling through Cornas in the year 840 and liked it so much that he had some sent on to his residence in Aix la Chapelle. The terraces and the first stone walls known as ‘chaillées’ are believed to be of Roman origin. This 4.5-hectare plot is situated near the small chapel of Saint Pierre. The vines were planted in 1945, on south to south-westerly facing steep slopes at an altitude of 220 metres and on slopes with a gradient of 10 to 40%. These slopes form a natural amphitheatre which protects the vines from cold winds. The granitic soils are light with large crystals, altered to saprolites, in which the old, stake-trained vines produce low yields of 25 to 35hl/ha. The entire vineyard is certified organic and cultivated with respect for the soil and the living ecosystem.

Winemaking

Manually harvested, the fruit was sorted by plot and taken to the winery in 12kg crates. Traditional vinification took place with 100% de-stemming and three weeks maceration with daily pump-overs. The wine went through malolactic conversion and was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels of which 20% were new.

Tasting Note

A full bodied, yet elegant Cornas, with a fresh, spicy bouquet of raspberry, Morello cherry and subtle smoky notes. Beautifully structured, with supreme balance and a long, supple finish.

Grape

Syrah 100%