The vineyard source of this stunning wine is a one acre portion of 100+ year old vines in La Geynale, located on a 60+ degree slope in the heart of Reynard, arguably the greatest vineyard in Cornas. Emmanuelle vinifies all of her vineyards separately and in this case, sets aside the best barrels from La Geynale that will make up the “Signature Verset” cuvée.
Nothing fancy when it comes to winemaking at Domaine Verset where during the maceration & fermentation process the cap is punched down daily with an added pump-over, keeping the cap moist while ensuring the gentle extraction of tannins and fruit. In the past, Emmanuelle’s forefathers might have punched down the cap several times a day, producing wines of higher dry extract that needed years to resolve. This more gentle cuvaison results in plenty of structure that is coated with a more approachable range of aromatics making this a stunning Cornas after “just” 5-10 years of cellaring. The wine is aged in mostly neutral 225-400L barrels for up to 22 months before bottling without fining or filtration. It is normally aged in barrel an additional 6-8 months longer than her “regular” Cornas bottling.
Made entirely from lieu-dit La Geynale this year. Clean, fresh and pure, with dark chocolate and cassis. Has the great searing crystalline power of the site, with a salty acidity. Full of life and energy, with fine but gently serrated tannins. Not hugely concentrated or weighty, but it really attacks…
Matt Walls, Decanter-95 points