2005 Noël Verset Cornas

The 2005 Cornas is an excellent example from a great, age-worthy vintage that’s still developing at a snail’s pace. In fact, many producers in the region wonder of they’ll even still be around when the wines fully come into maturity. The wine’s musky, deeply pitched cherry pit and black raspberry aromas are complicated by hints of bacon fat and violet. It brightens up with air and offers sweet cherry compote and red berry liqueur flavors, with an undercurrent of smoky minerals that adds lift and spine. Supple tannins frame an extremely long, sweet and mineral-accented finish, which leaves notes of raspberry and candied flowers behind. This plush, deeply concentrated and fruit-driven wine is built for the long haul, but I wouldn't fault anyone for opening and drinking it now, especially if I were there.