Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/711666
58 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Terres Brulées Syrah "Terres Brulées" is French for "burnt earth" (incidentally, "Cornas" is Celtic for "burnt earth"). This wine is made from 30-year- old-plus vines from 20 different plots on the steep (15–30°) granite slopes of the Rhône Valley's right bank. The altitudes are between 820 and 1,100 feet above sea level. The yield is 30 hl/ha. Production Techniques Fermentation takes places in stainless steel tanks for a period of ten days at an average temperature of 69°F. Post fermentation maceration lasts an additional ten days at a temperature of 82°F. The wine is then aged for 21 months in oak barrels (15% new, 85% one to four years old). When ready, the wine is fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered. Tasting Notes Blackcurrant, dark cherries and blackber - ries, with spices, licorice and cocoa. A very rich mouthfeel with flavors of black fruit, jam, vanilla, spice and mineral notes. The wine has firm tannins and a long lasting finish. Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Ruchets Syrah Les Ruchets ("the beehives") is made from grapes coming from a single vineyard of 2.2 hectares (5.4 acres) and over 90-year-old vines on the steep, granite slopes of the right bank of the Rhône at an elevation of 920 feet above sea level (35° slope). The soil is well covered with bark mulch to limit erosion and encourage the natural growth of the vines. Yield is 25 hl/ha. Production Techniques The grapes macerate for one month, and fermentation takes places in stainless steel tanks for a period of ten days at an average temperature of 69°F. Post-fermentation maceration lasts a period of 12 days at a temperature of 84°F. The wine is then aged for 22 months in oak barrels one-third in new, two-thirds in one- to three-year-old oak barrels. When ready for bottling, the wine is fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered. Tasting Notes Complex and elegant with notes of spices, violets and black fruit and vanilla. Powerful, structured notes of black fruit, herbs, white pepper and blueberry. Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas La Louvée Syrah La Louvée ("the she-wolf ") is a single vineyard site and is only 0.8 hectares (2 acres), charac- terized by granite areas on the steep slopes (30°) of the right bank of the Rhône at an elevation of 755 feet above sea level. Vines are over 70-years-old and the yield is only 22 hl/ha. Production Techniques Grapes are harvested by hand mid-to-the- end of September and were destemmed prior to fermentation. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for a period of 11 days, at an average temperature of 69°F. Post-fermentation maceration lasts for a period of 12 days at a temperature of 84°F. The wine is then aged for 22 months in oak barrels (one to two years old). When ready for bottling, the wine is fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered. Tasting Notes Intense and complex notes of black fruit, licorice, herbal garrigue notes and mineral - ity. Concentrated and robust on the palate, yet elegant with flavors of blackcurrant, fig compote and violets. A fine structure, firm tannins, and a lingering finish with notes of cloves and spice. Jean-Luc Colombo's wines are imported by Palm Bay International. The Wines All work in Jean-Luc Colombo's Cornas vine- yards is done manually and without the use of pesticides or irrigation, respecting the local environment. All fruit is harvested by hand and destemmed prior to fermentation. { the rhône }