Cornas Les Arènes 2018

• 75cl bottle

Les Arenes' is a beautiful example of the Cornas appellation. It has intense ripe fruit flavours on the nose and in the palate flavours of blackberries, spices, morello cherry.

Vineyards

Part of the vineyard is located on decomposing granite, known locally as "gore" the other is on alluvial clay-limestone soil. This kind of soil produces powerful, meaty wines with good tannin. This type of granite also gives the wine power and nice taut acidity.

Vintage

Who would have predicted that this 2018 vintage would cause such joy and rank among the remarkable Rhône Valley vintages that have come on after another since 2015? Strong rains, heat waves and violent, localised storms were the marks of this vintage full of intensity and doubts, until the exceptionally hot September. It is a vintage where we had to react fast to relieve these hot waves, but that lead to prodigious wines with a great aging potential, with preserved acidity and silky tannins thanks to specific work in the cellar and on the tanks to maintain this balance.

Winemaking

Traditional, destemmed grapes, with the fermentation lasting 10 days in concrete tanks, which results in a perfect polymerization of tannins. It is then followed by maceration lasting around 3 weeks. After vinification the ageing process starts and lasts 14 - 16 months. 80% of the wines goes into oak barrels (100% French). The remaining 20% are aged in concrete tanks, which preserves the fruit and minerality expressed on these granitic soils.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Fish/Shellfish
• Pizza/Pasta
• Casseroles/Stews

Fish in tapenade sauce (Mullet). All meats in sauces, marinated meats, large game and cranberry jelly