As I sit here sipping on a glass of Alain Voge’s 2012 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes, I can’t stop thinking about a smorgasbord of steak selections on the grill: marinated flanks, seasoned skirts, sexy strips, a thick ol’ rib eye, and since we’re talking syrah, throw in some lamb chops! I mean, there are a number of varietals that go well with meat, but when it comes to the char of flesh and fat, syrah is the choice for me. And with Memorial Day just behind us, now is the prime time of the year for these pairings on the grill.
When it comes to Old World Syrah, the Northern Rhone is as classic as it gets, with Cote Rotie and Hermitage as the benchmark examples. Of course with their stature, can also come hefty price tags. But over the past decade or so, savvy collectors have been enjoying relatively affordable offerings from Cornas, the southernmost AOC in the Northern Rhone for red wine. Located on the right bank of the Rhone, Cornas (which is Celtic for “burnt earth”) is comprised of steep south-facing slopes, often terraced or walled, that protect the vines from cold winds. In the appropriate hands, one balances these warmer aspects of this cooler climate to bottle a wonderful example of syrah and the team at Alain Voge does it well.
Alain Voge began working with his father on the family’s farm in 1958 and quickly decided to specialize in wine. Over the years he recognized certain traditional aspects of winemaking as well as incorporated other more modern techniques. More recently he has hired Alberic Mazoyer (formerly of Chapoutier) and Lionel Fraisse as head and assistant winemaker, and together Domaine Alain Voge are bottling pure expressions of Cornas syrah that are both accessible in their youth, yet can develop and age for years to come. Their 2012 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is a prime example receiving 95 points from Jeb Dunnuck with the following review:
“It’s a blockbuster-styled Cornas that doesn’t pull any punches in its sexy, ripe and textured personality. Black raspberry, cassis, licorice, ground herbs and sweet oak all emerge from this polished 2012, and while it dishes out plenty of pleasure now due to its wealth of fruit, it will have 10-15 years of longevity.”
Do yourself a favor and grab some of our remaining few cases at $64.95/btl. Enjoy with your favorite grilled meats over the summer, roasts during the fall and winter holidays, and then if any remain pull some corks over the years to come to appreciate how it evolves.