Domaine Courbis 2017 Cornas "Champelrose" 750ml

The 2017 Cornas Champelrose comes from granite soils and was brought up in 25% new French oak. Its deep purple color is followed by plenty of classic granite character in its damp earth, crushed rock, gravelly minerality, liquid violet, and ripe blue fruits. Medium to full-bodied, with beautiful purity, no hard edges, and a great, great finish, this is a Cornas readers should snatch up.

Score: 95 points -- Jeb Dunnock, jebdunnock.com, 2019

***

Domaine Courbis’ modern, gravity-fed winery is located in the commune of Chateaubourg on the right bank of the Rhone, where the Isere river flows in from the east. This is the most southerly section of the St. Joseph AOC, with Cornas AOC next door. Brothers Laurent and Dominique oversee the Domaine’s 33 hectares of vineyard holdings, including some of the most highly regarded sites in Cornas. Fermentation is in sealed, temperature regulated steel vats and concrete tanks to produce the robust, fruit-forward, and polished style that characterizes Courbis wines; maturation is in oak barrels, with new wood reserved only for the top cuvees.