Jean-Luc Colombo : La Louvée 2015

The full-bodied 2015 Cornas la Louvee offers authentic Cornas notes of roasted meat, licorice and cracked pepper wrapped in a robe of cedar, leather and cinnamon. It's not a fruit-forward wine but it's already approachable, with a ripe, creamy mouthfeel and a long, supple finish. It should drink well for at least a decade.

Fleshy in feel, with a ganache edge around the core of warmed plum sauce, fig paste and blackberry reduction flavors. Loam and charcoal notes line the finish, while the fruit plays out wonderfully. Shows a touch more fruit than grip, but the fruit is really beautiful. Best from 2020 through 2035. 400 cases made, 150 cases imported.

Opaque ruby. Cassis, licorice, espresso and violet aromas pick up a smoky mineral quality as the wine opens up. Plush cherry and dark berry liqueur flavors are lifted by a peppery nuance and a suggestion of fruitcake on the back half. The sweet, broad, impressively long finish displays youthful tannic grip and leaves hints of mocha and candied licorice behind.

Coming from the steep, granite soils of the La Côte Lieu-dit, the 2015 Cornas La Louvée spent 23 months in 15% new French oak. It’s seriously good, and while it has a slightly modern character, it packs tons of classic Cornas fruit as well as notes of saddle leather, bouquet garni, graphite and cracked pepper. Thick, unctuous and incredibly concentrated, with sweet tannin, it's the finest wine I've tasted from this estate to date. There are only 400 cases but it’s well worth the extra effort to track down. Hat’s off to the young Laure Colombo!

A fine, supple juice with a velvety feel, very suave tannins, a licorice-tinged finish and a more assertive peppery comeback—magnificent!

Instantly gives off a ripe impression with plum paste and deeply ripe, black cherries, dark, toasted spices and mocha. The palate is succulent, juicy and powerful. Bold, black fruit and dark minerals. Try in 2020.

While primary on the nose, fresh cherry and berry notes take on a smokier depth on the palate. It's an intensely ripe but elegant wine, with supple curves anchored by brisk acidity and dense, penetrating tannins. The finish is long and lavish. Still taut, it should open and expand from 2019–2030.