Cornas L'élégance du Caillou 2022 Julien Pilon

The Cornas L'Élégance du Caillou 2022 from Julien Pilon is a bottle that lives up to its name, and proves that the most austere and southernmost of the northern Rhône crus can, in the hands of a precise and respectful vigneron, achieve an elegance and depth that far exceeds the prejudices attached to the appellation. Made from old Syrah vines, hand-harvested from two emblematic parcels, this Cornas is deep, concentrated, fruity and round, with a surprising freshness on the palate that sets it apart from the sunny, tannic reds one too often associates with this terroir.

The Cornas terroir

Cornas is the southernmost and most isolated cru of the northern Côtes du Rhône, nestled a few kilometres south of Saint-Joseph and north of Saint-Péray, in a natural amphitheatre of granite carved by centuries beneath the Massif Central. This exceptional site has the particularity of being sheltered from cold northern winds, thanks to the bowl-shaped configuration of its hillsides, which allows grapes to achieve remarkable ripeness, faster and more complete than in any other northern Rhône appellation. The landscape here is drier, harder, wilder than its northern neighbours, and this is precisely what gives it its charm. Julien Pilon's Cornas is a blend of two parcels situated on the terroirs of La Côte and Sauman, planted on steep south-east facing slopes, on poor, stony, well-draining granitic sand soils. This friable granite substrate, poor in water retention, forces the old Syrah vines to plunge their roots deep into the rock, drawing from it the minerality and tension that give the wine its complexity and finesse.

Tasting profile

The colour is dark and deep, an intense purple-black with violet reflections, of fine density. The nose is immediately striking in its richness and depth: aromas of wild blackberry, blackcurrant and bilberry blend with notes of smoked bacon, black olive, liquorice and complex spices, pepper and cinnamon, with a mineral hint of hot stone and a slight animal note that marks great granitic Syrahs. More than half the cuvée vinified with whole bunches brings freshness and aromatic tension that beautifully balance the natural concentration and richness of the vintage. On the palate, the wine is ample, fleshy and of remarkable depth: the tannins are ripe, well-enrobed and of a silky texture surprising for a young Cornas, the acidity fresh and well-integrated brings vibrancy, and the round, generous matter unfolds with elegance and persistence. The finish is long, spiced and mineral, with this return of stewed dark fruits and sweet spices that invites patience for a few more years. A wine built for ageing over eight to twelve years, already approachable with generous decanting.

The domaine

Julien Pilon is one of the most engaging and promising figures in the northern Rhône vineyard. Based in Chavanay on the right bank of the Rhône, he made his first vintages in 2010 in his parents' garage, with no land or proper cellar of his own at the time, before progressively building a producer-négociant structure whose reputation has grown vintage after vintage. Trained with Yves Cuilleron, then at Mas Amiel in Roussillon alongside Olivier Decelle, in Spain at Terra Remota, in Banyuls beside Pierre and Pascale Gaillard, and finally with Pierre-Jean Villa in Chavanay, he has forged a precise and recognisable personal style, praised with a star by the Revue du Vin de France. His range today extends from IGP Collines Rhodaniennes through to Hermitage Grand Cru, taking in Condrieu, Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray and Cornas, each cuvée bearing a fantasy name that tells much of this vigneron: curious, a traveller, a gourmand and free of affectation.

Food and wine pairing

This Cornas L'Élégance du Caillou will pair magnificently with a leg of lamb confited with Provençal herbs, grilled black pudding with apples, a civet of hare, a square of veal with wild mushrooms or game birds such as roasted woodcock. It will also find fine harmony with aged hard cheeses like an old Comté or a Cantal between-deux. A minimum hour of decanting is advised. Served between 14 and 16°C, it will reveal all the depth and elegance of a great granitic Syrah from the northern Rhône.