The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Domaine du Coulet Cornas 2020
Red WineIssue 160

Domaine du Coulet Cornas 2020

Domaine du Coulet

Cornas, Northern Rhône, France
Matthieu Barret's estate-bottled Cornas is Syrah at its most structural. The 2020 vintage brought concentration and grip, and this wine channels both into a tightly coiled package that demands cellaring or decanting. It is not easy wine — it is essential wine, from one of the Northern Rhône's most uncompromising young vignerons.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark, brooding blackcurrant and violet lead, with a graphite minerality and fresh cracked black pepper beneath. There is a gamey, almost iron-like quality that speaks to the granite terroir of Cornas.

Palate

Tightly wound and powerfully tannic. The fruit is dense — blackcurrant, dark cherry — but the tannins grip firmly, giving structure and direction. Mid-palate introduces mint, woody spice, and a stony minerality. The acidity is taut and precise.

Finish

Very long, with resolute tannins, fading violet, and a mineral persistence that lasts for minutes. Patience is rewarded here.

Specifications
Varietal
Syrah
Blend
100% Syrah
Vineyards
Steep granite hillside vineyards in Cornas, Northern Rhône
Alcohol
13.5%
Organic / Biodynamic
No
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

Slow-braised lamb shoulder with Niçoise olives, thyme, and roasted root vegetables. The wine's tannic structure and dark fruit stand up to the lamb's richness, while the gamey quality mirrors the meat's depth.

The Story

Crafted by Matthieu Barret at Domaine du Coulet in Cornas, working steep granite hillside vineyards that his family has tended for generations in the Northern Rhône.

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