Cornas ‘Ogre‘ (16) - Syrah

Syrah | perceel met 'Gore' graniet in Arlettes | stokken gemiddeld 30-40 jaar oud | gisting in betonnen eieren (16hl) met lichte pigeage | volledig ontsteeld | rijping 24 maanden in betonnen ei van 6hl | heel intens en puur | donker klein fruit | verfijnde tannines | niet ieder jaar gemaakt

Matthieu Barret - Domaine du Coulet 

Een van de meest intigregende wijnmakers die in ontmoet heb. De goedlachse Matthieu is net geen 1,70 is redelijk rond en heeft een lekkere baard staan (het kleine beertje, Petit Ours). Zijn grootvader bezit meer dan 11 ha steile terraswijngaarden in Cornas (op een totaal van 120 ha). Hij besluit de druiven niet te verkopen maar zijn eigen wijnen (23 jarige leeftijd in 1998) te gaan maken. Hij volgt niet het pad van de 'klassieke' producenten maar probeert zo minimaal als mogelijk de wijn te beinvloeden en schroeft het gebruik van eikenhout terug tot een minimum. De nieuwe kelder in 2018 geraliseeerd staat vol met betonnen cuvées. Zijn wijnen zijn intrigerend en zeer puur, met diepgang en zijn stylistisch. Naast de serie Cornas wijnen is er zijn negocé range met wijnen als Petit Ours, Black Flack, No wines land. 

Review

Depending on the style of the vintage, Barret names this cuvée Ogre or Gore. The 2016 Cornas Domaine du Coulet Ogre comes from an east-facing site at 350 meters above sea level. It offers enchanting aromas of black tea, roses and redcurrants on the nose, while in the mouth it's medium to full-bodied but also airy, silky and ethereal in feel. A wine that marries this sort of flavor intensity with a weightless texture like this is a rare thing, and that combination carries through onto the beautifully long, lacy finish.

Matthieu Barret farms (biodynamically) 20 hectares of Cornas and Côtes du Rhône, making him a substantial landowner in the context of tiny Cornas. The Côtes du Rhône vineyards lie between the Cornas and Saint-Joseph appellations, and the majority of his holdings in Cornas—the Domaine du Coulet—are in that same northern sector. Historically, the land was associated with the Hotel Louvée, but his grandfather planted the vines and then rented them to Jean Lionnet for years. Barret took over in the late 1990s and his first vintage on his own was 2001. During my visit, Barret pointed out that as it's largely east-facing, it's a cool site. The soils are mainly granite, with some clay and limestone at the bottom of the slope. Two-thirds of his Cornas vines are more than 50 years old, according to Barret. Almost all of the wines are 100% destemmed. "I look more for drinkability, elegance and freshness," he said. "Barrels are too oxidative and tire the wine. You lose the energy." Since the 2017 vintage, he no longer uses wooden vessels for aging, preferring to use a wide array of tanks. The cellar contains a crazy mix of steel and concrete in various shapes and sizes, including weird octagonal forms and eggs. He's excitedly eyeing his next acquisition, a 500-liter ceramic vat from Limoges. "It's 3,000 euros, but I have to have it," he said. In addition to the exciting estate wines from Domaine du Coulet, Barret works a number of partnerships to fill out the range of wines under his own négociant label, which reflect his own sensibilities. "My vision is to focus on grapes and terroir flavors."