Named after the 2003 vintage, this cuvée previously had no name. It was simply our "generic" cuvée. A blend from several vineyard sites, it serves as an introduction to the estate and Syrah in Cornas. 

To reach its full potential, Les Chailles will require fewer years of aging than our other Cornas cuvées. 

* The entire estate is farmed organically and biodynamically. 

TERROIR: Syrah vines around forty years old. Grown at the foot of the granitic slopes of Cornas, with soils more fertile than those higher up, giving the vines vigor and slightly higher yields. The proximity of the Arlettes limestone massif to the north explains the presence of particular Triassic siliceous concretions called chailles. 

VINTAGE 2016: A season typical of our terroir, with favorable but rainy weather in the spring, requiring us to be highly vigilant regarding fungal pressure. A beautiful summer and a very fine late season followed, allowing for optimal ripeness of a fairly abundant harvest. Perfectly balanced, the wines are imbued with elegance, while expressing the typicity of both Cornas and Saint-Péray. 

OUR CRAFT • Vineyard and wine certified organic since the 2016 vintage, and cultivated biodynamically. 

• Syrah grape variety grown in the goblet style on stakes. 

• Hand-harvested. 

• Mostly destemmed grapes. 

• Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and maceration for several weeks in stainless steel tanks, with punch-downs and pump-overs twice a day. 

• Aged in 228-liter barrels for 18 months, without new oak. 

• Reduced sulfites - Total SO2 45 mg/l (permitted in organic: 100 mg/l) 

• Production: 14,164 bottles / 125 magnums 

• Aging potential: 10 years 

COMMENTS Vintage 2016: “On the nose, this wine expresses aromas reminiscent of the Cornas slopes scorched by intense heat: notes of sun-warmed pine needles and dusty herbs, with a hint of dark, tarry fruit. This wine possesses that raw Cornas character, a blend of blood and iron, supported by slightly earthy and resinous aromas. Well-structured, it reveals a lovely freshness on the palate. It is mineral and tannic, bristling and twisting, with savory tannins on the finish, but not excessively so. A good wine to choose this year, particularly because it will be enjoyable to drink in its youth and also shows good aging potential.” » Matt Walls – Decanter (09/09/2017): 93/100