Coming from a single parcel of some of the oldest vines of the estate and brought up mostly in used barrels, the 2018 Cornas Les Vieilles Fontaines is a young, primordial beauty that's going to take probably a decade to shed its baby fat and show more classic Cornas game, iron, and meatiness. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a massive bouquet of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, camphor, ground pepper, and leather, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered, opulent mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, perfect balance, and a gorgeous finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it only improved with air, which to my mind bodes well for its longevity. It offers considerable pleasure today but warrants 5-7 years of bottle age and I suspect will have 20-25 years of overall longevity.

By Jeb Dunnuck December 2022