2003 Noel Verset, Cornas

The 2003 Cornas is a surprisingly elegant wine for such a ripe vintage. Indeed, '03 produced many wines that have already begun to fall apart due to excessive alcohol levels and over-ripe fruit character. Not this one. It's quite ripe, admittedly, with deeply pitched dark berry and cherry pit aromas and flavors thate show the warmth of the vintage without coming off stewy. Notes of woodsmoke, black olive, pipe tobacco and floral oils come up with air, along with a hint of bacon fat. This is like a Cliff's Notes description of syrah, actually. It becomes livelier and fresher as the wine opens up, showing cherry compote and blackberry qualities on an extremely long, surprisingly tannic (for its age) finish. Definitely in the dark fruit spectrum, as Verset's wines go, but it still displays the domain's trademark finesse.

Deep ruby-red. Like a chocolate and herb liqueur on the nose, with some black cherry fruit. Fat and large-scaled for a Verset wine, with rather Mediterranean flavors of jammy redcurrant, mocha, tobacco, chocolate, black olive and roasted herbs. Distinctly liqueur-like. Finishes with major tannins and lingering olive and roasted herb flavors. A wild, singular wine, and about much more than primary fruit. They don't make Cornas like this anymore! Cellar this for at least six years. For long-time Verset fans: this will probably be the last vintage you'll find in the retail marketplace.