Jean-Luc Colombo 2016 Cornas, Les Ruchets
Item Number: 19 10 225 16
Jean-Luc Colombo 2016 Cornas, Les Ruchets
Outstanding Northern Rhone from a celebrated producer!
Quick Taste
- 96 Points
- 100% Syrah from 90 year old vines
- Extremely low yields
- "luscious black fruit but balanced freshly too. Lingering earth tones"
- "a terrific wine for drinking over the next decade"
About Jean-Luc Colombo 2016 Cornas, Les Ruchets
Innovation, passion and dedication are what drives Jean-Luc and Anne Colombo, whose contributions to Rhône Valley winemaking is unparalleled. A devotee of the Syrah grape, Colombo’s innovative approach in the northern appellation of Cornas is nothing short of revolutionary. Today, Jean-Luc Colombo’s wines express the typicity of their terroir with elegance and character.
The Colombo winery is based in Cornas, the smallest appellation in the Rhône Valley. Covering only 325 acres, it is nonetheless highly delineated with incredibly diverse microclimates that make an extraordinary impact on the profile of the wines. With a strong Mediterranean influence, summers here are warm. Ancient vineyards are found mostly on steep, south-facing terraced slopes. Decomposed granite soils and stressed growing conditions greatly contribute to the quintessential quality and character of Cornas wines. Cornas AOC has strict laws. Irrigation is not permitted and maximum yields are just over two tons per acre. It is one of the few appellations in the world dedicated to Syrah.
This wine, Cornas Les Ruchets (The Beehives) is Colombo’s signature wine with his first release in 1987. It is a 5.4-acre vineyard with 90 year-old vines, a 38 degree slope, and yields of just over one ton per acre.
Grapes are hand-harvested and de-stemmed. Fermentation takes places in stainless steel tanks with a 30-day maceration. The wine is aged for 22 months in oak barrels 15% in new, 85% in one to three-year-old oak barrels, then fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 96 points saying "Hints of char, dried porcini and dark chocolate juxtapose concentrated blackberry and cassis in this rich, boldly structured Syrah. It’s an intensely juicy sip highlighting ripe, luscious black fruit but balanced freshly too. Lingering earth tones and fine, persistent tannins mark a long finish. Approachable already it’s sturdy enough to improve well through 2035."
Wine Spectator scored this 95 points saying "This has a ripe and fleshy feel, with blueberry, açaí and blackberry compote flavors at the core, laced with cocoa powder and smoldering tobacco notes. The plush feel recedes on the finish a touch as a cast-iron note creeps in, keeping this grounded. Very solid. Best from 2023 through 2035."
Wine Advocate scored this 94 points saying "The full-bodied 2016 Cornas les Ruchets can't match the la Louvée for sheer silkiness or perfume, but it delivers more savory complexity and richness. Smoky, meaty and plummy up front, this full-bodied effort adds hints of raspberries on the palate, then finishes long and velvety. It's a terrific wine for drinking over the next decade or so."
The Colombo winery is based in Cornas, the smallest appellation in the Rhône Valley. Covering only 325 acres, it is nonetheless highly delineated with incredibly diverse microclimates that make an extraordinary impact on the profile of the wines. With a strong Mediterranean influence, summers here are warm. Ancient vineyards are found mostly on steep, south-facing terraced slopes. Decomposed granite soils and stressed growing conditions greatly contribute to the quintessential quality and character of Cornas wines. Cornas AOC has strict laws. Irrigation is not permitted and maximum yields are just over two tons per acre. It is one of the few appellations in the world dedicated to Syrah.
This wine, Cornas Les Ruchets (The Beehives) is Colombo’s signature wine with his first release in 1987. It is a 5.4-acre vineyard with 90 year-old vines, a 38 degree slope, and yields of just over one ton per acre.
Grapes are hand-harvested and de-stemmed. Fermentation takes places in stainless steel tanks with a 30-day maceration. The wine is aged for 22 months in oak barrels 15% in new, 85% in one to three-year-old oak barrels, then fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 96 points saying "Hints of char, dried porcini and dark chocolate juxtapose concentrated blackberry and cassis in this rich, boldly structured Syrah. It’s an intensely juicy sip highlighting ripe, luscious black fruit but balanced freshly too. Lingering earth tones and fine, persistent tannins mark a long finish. Approachable already it’s sturdy enough to improve well through 2035."
Wine Spectator scored this 95 points saying "This has a ripe and fleshy feel, with blueberry, açaí and blackberry compote flavors at the core, laced with cocoa powder and smoldering tobacco notes. The plush feel recedes on the finish a touch as a cast-iron note creeps in, keeping this grounded. Very solid. Best from 2023 through 2035."
Wine Advocate scored this 94 points saying "The full-bodied 2016 Cornas les Ruchets can't match the la Louvée for sheer silkiness or perfume, but it delivers more savory complexity and richness. Smoky, meaty and plummy up front, this full-bodied effort adds hints of raspberries on the palate, then finishes long and velvety. It's a terrific wine for drinking over the next decade or so."
Wine Details
- Alcohol % 14.0%
- Bottle Size 750 ml
- Wine Type Red
- Country France
- Region Rhône
- Appellation Cornas
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