Bott Cornas 2022

Cornas is one of the northern Rhône's most powerful appellations, a small zone where Syrah alone is permitted and the wines are traditionally the firmest of the region. Graeme and Julie Bott built their estate here from scratch, farming the steep, sun-trapping slopes by hand and sustainably. The defining feature of Cornas is its granite bedrock, which warms quickly, drains hard and stresses the vines into producing concentrated, deeply coloured fruit with marked tannin. The amphitheatre of slopes shelters the vineyards and traps heat, ripening the Syrah fully while the altitude and cool nights preserve freshness. The wine ages twenty months in oak barrels, where measured oxygen exchange rounds the powerful tannins and adds savoury spice without masking the granite-driven structure. It pours an opaque purple-black. The nose is dense, with blackberry and ripe plum, cracked black pepper, smoke, leather and a stony, earthy depth. The palate is robust and tightly structured at 13 per cent, with firm tannins that call for either time or a good meal. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted well ahead, with rich roasted meat.