Dark purple. Pungent blackberry, cassis and violet aromas are complemented by suggestions of peppery spices, olive and smoky minerals. Densely packed and chewy on the palate, offering powerful dark berry and floral pastille flavors and a licorice quality. Concentrated and well-structured, finishing with excellent focus, mounting tannins and excellent persistence. I'd keep my hands off this one for a while.

As normal, the 2013 Cornas la Geynale is the most structured, tannic and age-worthy in the lineup. Coming from the Geynale and Reynard lieux-dits, and fermented with 100% whole clusters, it spent 18 months all in two- to eight-year-old barrels. Its inky purple, mostly opaque color gives way to masculine (classic Cornas!) notes of crushed rocks, charcoal, wood smoke and plums. Big, medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and with plenty of tannin, it needs 2-4 years of cellaring and will drink well for a decade after that.

Lovely rocky character to this – definite stony quality. Oodles of thick, almost jammy black fruit with a sort of burnt character on the finish. Impressive, traditional and ageworthy. (RH)