Domaine Courbis 2018 Syrah IGP Ardeche 750ml
The grapes for this wine come from a small, 1 hectare, plot located on the right bank of the Rhone above Valence. The Rhone river helps create a unique micro-climate in the vineyard which provides a freshness in the grapes. The grapes are manually harvest with the same care as the great wines of the Domaine with vinification and aging carried out exclusively in vats to promote the varietal expression of Syrah. This wine has an intense garnet colour and a pleasant nose that is redolent with black fruits and spice. On the palate the dark red fruit and savoury spice notes are present with the wine displaying surprisingly flexible tannins on the finish. An excellent expression of Syrah and a wine to be enjoying in its youth.
-- Winemaker
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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.