Cornas wine region
The municipality of Cornas on the Rhône in the Ardèche department gives the Cornas wine-growing region its name. This red wine from the northern Rhône has had the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short) since August 5, 1938 . The vineyards cover 125 hectares. The steep slopes are partially terraced. In 2011, 4,455 hectoliters of wine were produced here.
Syrah is the only approved grape variety . The minimum alcohol content is 10.5 °. If dry sugar ( chaptalization ) is approved, the maximum alcohol content is 13.5 °. The yield is limited to 36 hectoliters / hectare.
The area between the hills is crossed by 11 brooks, which often mark the boundaries of the individual layers. The locations are from north to south: Les Arlettes, Le Coulet, Les Eygas, Jouvet, St.Pierre, Peupliers, Chaillot, Pied la Vigne, Reynards, Les Mazards, Sauman, Champelrose, La Lègre, Sabarotte, Les Saveaux, Les Côtes , Patou and Combe. Tezier , La Geynale and La Côte are some of the most well-known individual vineyards in Cornas within the Reynard area .
The most famous wineries are those of Auguste and Pierre-Marie Clape and Thierry Allemand. In recent years, younger winemakers such as Vincent Paris or Franck Balthazar have increasingly attracted attention with their good wines. Wine lovers are looking for wines by the no longer working Nöel Verset and Robert Michel.
The wines are quite tart and rich in tannins when they are young; they should be stored for at least 3 years. Very good wines from an excellent vintage only show their fullness after 15 years.
Wines from Cornas that do not meet the requirements of the appellation are sold as Côtes du Rhône .
