Domaine Alain Voge - Cornas Les Chailles 2023

Decanter

About the wine:

Sun-warmed rosemary and lavender, herbs, and flowers. This wine displays a certain finesse and fruitiness on the palate, combined with lively acidity. The finish is dry and flavorful; the fruit is rather light, but the wine has good structure. It needs a little time to develop more body.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Alain Voge joined his father at the family estate in 1958. By phasing out mixed farming, replanting abandoned hillsides, and selling wine directly by the bottle, he got the vineyard back on track; today, 12 hectares are cultivated using organic and biodynamic methods. He is regularly in the spotlight for his Cornas and Saint-Péray wines.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

Despite the weather challenges of 2021, General Manager Lionel Fraisse had a smile on his face when I rang the doorbell of the small tasting room in the village of Cornas. I thought I caught a glimpse of Madame Voge behind the curtains to my right, where she has continued to live since Alain’s death in 2020. “There will be no Saint-Péray Ongrie starting in 2021, nor any sparkling Saint-Péray starting this year,” said Fraisse, “because these vineyards were devastated by frost and downy mildew.” Furthermore, Fraisse stated that no decision had yet been made regarding the separate bottling of a 2020 Chapelle Saint Pierre and a Vieilles Fontaines. Fortunately, the 2019 vintages here are solid, with the 2019 Vieilles Fontaines (still in barrel at the time of my visit) particularly impressive. We took advantage of my visit to inquire about certain wines from 2011 and 2001; thus, the owners of these wines will find updated reviews in this report. This organically farmed estate remains an excellent source of Cornas and Saint-Péray.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

The entire vineyard has been certified biodynamic since 2013. The estate boasts exceptional hillside vineyards, all of which are tended entirely by hand. The presence of old vines also contributes to the production of wines with a strong personality. The Fleur de Crussol cuvée, located in the La Côte vineyard, comes from vines over 70 years old. Since the 2015 vintage, the Terres Boisées cuvée has borne the name of the plot from which it originates: Ongrie, situated on granitic alluvial soils. There’s also a name change for Les Vinsonnes, which is now called Les Côtes, after the terroir located in the village of Mauves. Among the reds, Les Vieilles Fontaines comes from 80-year-old vines planted on weathered granite.

Wine Spectator

About the wine:

It displays true elegance, with a subtle heart of blackcurrant and violet, enlivened by a lively acidity and a hint of black pepper. Notes of whole-grain bread and tobacco blend with a spicy, herbaceous touch, leading to a fresh and flavorful finish. It offers a subtle, pleasant, velvety texture, along with notes of crushed graphite throughout the tasting. Best enjoyed between 2027 and 2037.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

A slight hint of reduction on the nose. Structured fruit on the palate, with the juicy character typical of this vintage. The finish is clean and lingering, with fairly fine tannins. A more refined Cornas.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Made from a blend of terroirs—primarily from the lower-lying lieux-dits and supplemented by a few younger vines from Saint-Pierre—the 2023 Cornas Les Chailles was fully destemmed and aged for 18 months in 228-liter oak barrels, with no new oak. This is a magnificent, classic Cornas, with aromas of ripe black fruit and bouquet garni, along with hints of pepper and violet. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, round, supple, and undeniably delicious. Best enjoyed within the next 10 to 15 years. Best tasted between 2026 and 2041.