Product Profile
Domaine du Coulet Cornas ‘Brise Cailloux’ 2008
Full-Bodied Dry Red Wine. 100% Syrah. Alc. 13%. Drink now or cellar.
Tasting Notes
In 2008 only one cuvee was made with all old-vines material going into this beautifully fresh and balanced and perfumed wine. In the glass, it has a deep purple color; the nose is stunning, with a bramble and cherry fruit character. Although this will benefit from bottle age, one could happily drink it now after a few hours decanting.
"It used to be said that Cornas was a poor man's Hermitage, but given the quality out there, this is no longer the case."
Producer
Domaine du Coulet
Matthieu Barret started the domaine in 1998 after receiving the parcels of land from his grandfather who had previously sold to Negociants. Like many biodynamic practitioners Barret maintains yields at very low levels (35hl/ha for the Terrasses du Serre and a miniscule 15hl/ha for the Billes Noires) which not only alleviates disease pressure but has the added benefit of increasing intensity in the wines. Long slow ferments using only indigenous yeasts and no filtration or fining result in wines that are a true expression of their terroir.
“Barret represents the future in Cornas. His domaine is, in my opinion, the single most exciting new domaine in the appellation today. With his nearly 14 hectares of vines (11 in Cornas), Barret is producing a quartet of wines that represent a new paradigm for Cornas—vivid, exceptionally bright, racy fruit flavors that at the same time harness the taut, sometimes severe minerality of the Syrah grown on the east- and southeast-facing granite slopes above the town.” Wine Spectator March ‘09