Alain Voge Alain Voge Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes 2022 750ml

While not submitted to my tasting (and it wasn’t presented from barrel last year), it would be hard to imagine there won’t be a Les Vieilles Fontaines cuvée. Don’t miss a chance to buy a bottle if you find one. Moving to the 2018 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes, this beauty is cut from the same cloth as the Les Chailles yet is deeper and richer, with another level of concentration. Black and blue fruits, ground pepper, violets, smoked game, and loads of spring flower notes define the bouquet, and it has a vibrant, almost old school vibe that carries plenty of power yet still stays light and elegant on the palate. This beautiful, singular wine is open and enjoyable today, yet I wouldn’t be surprised to see it close down with a year or two of bottle age. It should see its 20th birthday in fine form. (Jeb Dunnuck)

The 2019 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is similarly inky colored and has a classic nose of plums, Asian spices, sandalwood, and iron. Medium to full-bodied, with good acidity and ripe tannins, it doesn’t have the sheer weight, richness, or girth of the Vieilles Fontaines, yet it’s certainly a more classic Cornas that will be approachable with just 3–4 years of bottle age yet evolve for twenty years if you’re so inclined. (Jeb Dunnuck)

This is packed with succulent cherry, plum paste and blackberry fruit flavors that show hints of mulled spice, dried anise, singed tobacco and sweet tapenade as they move through. A mouthwatering mineral edge extends the lengthy finish. Cellar patiently, then serve with game for the full seduction. Best from 2024 through 2038. 1,265 cases made, 225 cases imported. (James Molesworth)

Opaque ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet displays powerful aromas of black and blue fruit preserves, incense, peony and olive paste. Palate-staining blackberry, boysenberry, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors deepen steadily on the back half. Gains weight and sweetness with air, finishing with a jolt of smoky minerality, sneaky tannins and outstanding persistence. (Josh Raynolds)

Darker currants, cassis, sappy flowers, violets, and peppery bouquet garni notes emerge from the 2022 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes, another powerful, full-bodied Cornas with a great mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. At this point, it’s more similar than not to the Vieilles Fontaines, if not a touch richer.

Dark and winey, with lots of steeped black cherry, plum and blackberry fruit forming the core while light sweet tapenade, rosemary and mineral notes streak through on the finish. Vivid, energetic Cornas. Best from 2022 through 2036. 1,350 cases made, 128 cases imported. (James Molesworth)

Strappy plum and licorice-steeped cherry make a ripe impression in this vibrant, well-packed red. Vibrant and energetic on the palate, with details of baking spices and violet. Fluid and harmonious on the palate, with fine tannins keeping pace, but it's the steely mineral wall that really firms this up, making for a serious, solid finish. Best from 2026 through 2040. 1,075 cases made, 180 cases imported.

The 2018 Cornas Vieilles Vignes blends fruit from some of the top lieux-dits of the appellation: Combe, Patou, La Côte, Les Mazards and Chaillot. Aged 20 months in approximately 15% new oak, it’s a dark, inky-hued wine, but one that retains bright, fresh fruit notes of red raspberries and plums alongside hints of cedar and menthol. It’s full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with a firm, granitic structure and sense of restraint, fine-grained, almost silky tannins and tremendous length.

Emerging from one of the most challenging vintages in recent history, the 2022 Cornas Vieilles Vignes by Alain Voge presents a captivating bouquet, wafting from the glass with aromas of mulberries, tobacco, camphor and cigar wrap, enriched with carnal undertones. At this age, it is moderately weighted yet layered and tense, demonstrating a well-balanced and harmonious palate with good depth at its core, concluding long and spicy, with earthy nuances. As it opens up in the glass, notes of rose and cherries start to unfold. This wine is a testament to Alain Voge’s unique approach to Cornas, showcasing his extraordinary talent and solidifying his status as one of the gifted winemakers in the region.

Now, this is more like it. A big step up from the disjointed Les Chailles, the 2019 Cornas Vieilles Vignes is a classic rendering of Cornas, with hints of crushed stone, mint, blueberries and red berries on the nose. It’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated enough, yet it’s not overbearing or heavy; it’s just deliciously drinkable and will drink well for more than a decade. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes. (Joe Czerwinski)