We make no secret of our pleasure in being able to offer you one of the rarest and most sought-after French wines from the Northern Rhône Valley, the famous Cornas wines, one of the smallest appellations in France, made from a single grape variety: Syrah.
Cornas wines have a dark red colour, between ruby and garnet, a powerful nose but fine and velvety aromas. They reveal red fruits combined with a bouquet of wild flowers, hints of raspberry that evolve with age towards undergrowth flavours dominated by green olive and spices. A sublime expression of Syrah.
a land of single grape varieties.
Vines have been grown here for over a thousand years. Legend says it that Charlemagne stopped here in 804. After tasting the local wine, he asked to be brought regularly in his Palace of Aix-la-Chapelle, his capital city. Four centuries later, Cornas wine was found on the table of Saint Louis (1214-1270), the king who, along with his brothers, physically participated in the construction of Notre-Dame de Paris and had the Sainte Chapelle built in Paris. Five centuries later, it was at the Château de Versailles, on the table of Louis XV.
The appellation
The Cornas Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) is located on the right bank of the Rhône. The production area covers approximately 160 hectares, making it the smallest appellation in the northern Rhône. It is planted exclusively with Syrah grape variety.
The steep terraced hills on which the vines grow make mechanisation impossible. The areas under cultivation are small, sometimes less than one hectare. The owners are mostly small independent winegrowers.
The Lionnet estate is one of them.
Le Domaine Lionnet
The Lionnet family has been cultivating vines in Cornas since 1575. Today, the estate is family-run by Corinne Lionnet, her husband Ludovic and their son Lucas.
From century to century, from generation to generation, the family faithfully perpetuates a tradition of excellence, combining ancestral know-how, respect for the Terroir and virtuous cultivation. That of always, inherited from ancient times.
The vineyard is composed of 9 plots that extend over 4.5 hectares, mainly in Cornas, with also some plots in Chateaubourg for the cuvées in AOC Saint-Joseph.
This is the most prized and renowned area of the Cornas appellation. The vines grow on terraces on the northern slope.
As you can see, this is not a case of extensive, productivity-focused agriculture. We are in a garden, a sloping garden that houses micro viticulture where everything is done manually and sometimes with the help of a horse. As a result, a micro production of wines produced “by the sweat of one’s brow” as we say in French.
A new plantation carried out in 2022 and 2023 on the eastern slope of the hillside. Granitic terroir at the top, more clayey at the bottom.
Cornas ″Terre Brûlée″
This is the estate’s historic cuvée, the one we import into Thailand. It is produced on the plots ‘Pied de la Vigne’, ‘Mazard’, ‘Combe’ and finally ‘Chaillot’, the one pictured above. 100% Syrah, harvested by hand, needless to say, and slow pressed of whole bunches. The vines are between 55 and 95 years old and are grown without any pesticides or fungicides, without any chemicals. With the utmost respect for the place, the plant, and those who will one day bring the wine to their lips. You. Me.
The year 2022 was exceptionally solar. It gave a Cornas with a powerful structure, emblematic of the appellation. It releases intense aromas of black fruits and spices, with a lovely smoky touch. On the palate, it is structured, racy, powerful and expressive, with silky tannins and a long, spicy finish.
“With 2 to 3 years of ageing, it promises to gain in depth and elegance, revealing all its potential to accompany refined dishes” we are told. 2025, here we are!
At the moment we are writing these lines, the wines are in Singapore in a refrigerated container and are expected to arrive in Bangkok in early September. We are delighted about this event and will do our utmost to involve as many people as possible.
For further information or reservations: info@bacchusglobal.co.th
(Dr.FX)