Alain Voge : Les Chailles 2023

Characteristics and tasting advice for Les Chailles 2023 from Alain Voge

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep purple hue, reflecting the grapes’ natural concentration and the full sun exposure of the Cornas terroir.

Nose

The nose opens with elegant aromas of blackberry, violet, and white pepper. With aeration, notes of stewed black fruits gradually emerge, alongside smoky cocoa and noble spices. Floral touches bring freshness and elegance, while almost bacon-like nuances add a savory dimension to the bouquet. Notes of rosemary and sun-warmed lavender round out this complex aromatic profile.

Palate

On the palate, the wine reveals a remarkably balanced structure, combining distinct minerality with fine tannins. The texture unfolds dense and velvety, with supple, seamless tannins. Bright acidity brings freshness and precision, counterbalancing the fruit’s concentration. Pure flavors of stewed black fruits, peony, and flint blossom on the palate. The finish, of remarkable length, reveals licorice and pepper notes typical of the grape variety, with a dry, savory character.

Food and wine pairings

The estate recommends pairing this wine with a dry-aged Charolais beef tenderloin Wellington-style with a green asparagus confit. More generally, this Cornas pairs perfectly with grilled or braised red meats, game, as well as dishes featuring mushrooms and truffles.

Serving and cellaring

It is recommended to open the bottle about an hour before serving to allow the wine to breathe. Serve at a temperature between 16 and 18°C. Les Chailles 2023 can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve favorably until around 2033.

An elegant, fresh Cornas from the Northern Rhône Valley

The estate

Founded in 1905 by Henri Voge, the family estate truly took shape from 1958 onward when Alain Voge joined the family business and decided to specialize exclusively in winegrowing. A pioneer in the revival of the Cornas appellation, he systematically replanted abandoned hillsides and developed direct bottle sales. Since 2018, Lionel Fraisse has managed the estate, which spans 13 hectares across Cornas, Saint-Péray, and Saint-Joseph. Certified in biodynamic farming since 2013, the estate is recognized as one of the benchmarks of the Northern Rhône Valley, favoring freshness and finesse in the expression of its wines.

The vineyard

The vineyard for the Les Chailles cuvée is located on the steep, south-east-facing slopes of Cornas, between 100 and 400 meters above sea level. The vines, around forty years old, are planted on soils made up of highly decomposed granite, locally called gore, enriched with Triassic siliceous concretions known as chailles. These chailles result from the accumulation of scree from granite terraces and a nearby limestone hill, bringing remarkable minerality and complexity to the grapes. The vineyard is managed under certified biodynamic farming, with goblet pruning on stakes and entirely manual work. The harvest is carried out by hand with selective sorting of the finest bunches.

The vintage

The 2023 vintage in the Northern Rhône Valley experienced hot, heatwave-like summer conditions. Despite these demanding climatic conditions, the estate succeeded in preserving the grapes’ natural freshness and producing a slender, elegant wine, reflecting the intrinsic quality of the terroir and expertise in managing harvests at optimal ripeness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Les Chailles 2023 were mostly destemmed before fermentation. Fermentation takes place in vats with natural indigenous yeasts. Maceration lasts around four weeks, with punch-downs and pump-overs twice a day to extract an optimal expression of the fruit while preserving freshness. Aging takes place over 18 months in 228-liter oak barrels, with no new oak used, allowing harmonious tannin integration without masking the expression of the terroir.

Grape variety

100% Syrah