Cornas is the southernmost red appellation of the northern Rhône and the only one that permits nothing but Syrah. Its granite amphitheatre faces due south and is sheltered from the mistral, which ripens fruit earlier than anywhere else on the right bank.

Expect density and a dark, iron edged tannin that asks for time. Where Côte-Rôtie is perfumed and Hermitage monumental, Cornas is compact and untamed in its youth.