Domaine Johann Michel Cornas 2019
Double 95 point Cornas from the legendary Johann Michel needs no introduction, but if we must, then we must.
And we’re happy to oblige in this case.
To say stellar Cornas is a rarity is putting it lightly. There’s only so much in the world, especially if you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg. But somehow we’ve managed to extract just enough of this stunning northern Rhone elixir and it's yours for the taking.
Everything we love about Cornas lives inside this bottle! Deep, rich and exceptionally juicy, layers of red fruits dance with black cherry, saddle leather, hints of licorice, wild blackberries, pepper, cassis, dried violets, blueberries, and bacon fat are just the beginning, with a texture that is simply tantalizing. This beauty will evolve effortlessly for a few decades, but we totally understand if you rip open the box when it arrives and pop the cork immediately.
We’re not sure we could wait either so we won’t blame you if that’s your move.
Everything is destemmed here, leaving nothing but pure, unadulterated Syrah berries from the steep slopes of Cornas to please even the toughest of critics. It’s complete decadence in the best of ways.
This is luscious as the day is long! Seriously! The finish doesn’t stop and just sits on the palate and has no intention of going away any time soon. Stony minerality adds to the experience, as granite and iron add serious structure to the juicy and opulent framework of this wine.
If you’ve made it this far, the wine might be gone by now, so stop what you’re doing and just hit buy.
You deserve this.
A wine readers should snatch up is the 2019 Cornas from Johan Michel, a majestic, full-bodied, incredibly seamless beauty that does everything right. It certainly shows the ripe, sunny style of the vintage and brings ample fruit, richness, and power, yet it still has incredible focus as well as purity and freshness. Black raspberries, cassis, blueberries, violets, bacon fat, and peppery notes all emerge from the glass, and it has no hard edges and a sensational mouthfeel that keeps you coming back to the glass. It will evolve for 15 years or more, and I doubt it will ever close down. Those who like ripe, sexy, yet still pure, focused, and flawlessly balanced Cornas should back up the truck for this sensational wine.
Wine Enthusiast
Sourced from two different plots, this inky, ripe wine highlights the variability of terroir within Cornas and the plushness of Syrah vinified with 100% destemmed grapes. The palate pulsates with rich, almost syrupy, flavors of black-cherry preserves spiked with granite, iron and olive tapenade. Levitated by black-currant acidity and framed with firm, furry tannins, this luscious, violet-scented sip should hit peak from 2024 through 2040.