Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) Cornas

Good grief, this was so tasty!! Fruit and tannins in balance, just lovely.

Tasted in a 2017-2020 vertical. Each year of this wine felt like an additional step-up of the previous year. 2018 added acidity, while 2019 leaned much more into the smoked savory spices. The 17/18 felt like they showed their cards with air, but the 2019 still hit a lot of its complexities by the time I was done drinking. I regretted not having more time to spend with this bottle.

Brief note, tasting at Ansonia. Great, way young, sophisticated Syrah with depth and layered complexity. Long. Something succulent here that demands another sip... Elegance! Beauty! Nothing rustic here. Great wine, 94+ potential.

Committed infanticide with this bottle. I’d give it another 10 years, but I still loved it. Really spicy with nice blackberry jam fruit and a long finish. It’s still pretty closed because it’s young but you can tell it’s going to be really special.

Flickinger Warehouse Tasting (Chicago, IL) : Very intense, black-fruited wine, in the textbook Cornas style. Outstanding breadth on the palate, with a slightly rustic edge that adds interest to an otherwise extremely fruit-forward wine. Chewy and dense; this will need a lot of time to reach its potential.

Flickinger Customer Appreciation Tasting (Casino Club - Chicago IL) : Walk-around tasting. Ripe black and blue fruits on nose and palate, dense, spiced and nicely concentration, well balanced even with its firm, long-ish finish. Needs at least a few years in the cellar. Very good 91+ point potential.