Domaine du Coulet Cornas Brise Cailloux 2020
Domaine du Coulet
Matthieu Barret farms these granite-slope vineyards with minimal intervention, and Brise Cailloux — meaning 'stone breaker' — is an apt name. This is Cornas that demands patience: give it thirty minutes in the glass and it will reward you with one of the Northern Rhône's most compelling expressions of Syrah. Serious wine for serious drinkers.
Nose
Crushed dark berries and violets rise immediately, followed by cracked black pepper and a note of smoked meat. Beneath the fruit, a granite-like minerality and cedar wood add depth and tension.
Palate
Dense and deeply concentrated without heaviness. Dark cherry fruit and blackcurrant are framed by fine-grained tannins and a savory, almost meaty midpalate. The granite terroir shows in the wine's taut, mineral-driven structure. Fresh mint and violet reappear as the wine opens.
Finish
Long and gripping with blackcurrant and toasted oak. The tannins resolve slowly, with a persistent violet echo.
- Varietal
- Syrah
- Blend
- 100% Syrah
- Vineyards
- Granite terraces on the south-facing slopes of Cornas
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Braised lamb shoulder with rosemary and roasted root vegetables
Matthieu Barret tends precipitous granite terraces in Cornas with organic methods and a philosophical commitment to coaxing the terroir's voice from every vine — work so grueling it earned the cuvée its name, 'stone breaker.'
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