Domaine du Coulet Cornas 'Brise Cailloux' 2013

Finesse isn’t usually a word synonymous with Cornas. Historically, ‘hard’, ‘rustic’ or plain-old ‘dirty’ have been more associated with this most southerly of Northern Rhône Syrah appellations. But not so with Matthieu Barret, whose effortless and elegant wines can be counted among the best of the appellation.

After studying winemaking in Beaune, Matthieu joined his grandfather in Cornas before taking over full responsibility of Domaine du Coulet at the age of just 23. An evangelist for naturalist winemaking, he converted his terraced vineyards to biodynamics in 2002 and halted his family’s practice of selling wines to local negociants.

Matthieu aims to emphasise the purity of his Syrah: full destemming, gentle extractions, natural yeast fermentation, and zero new oak result in bright and enticing wines with floral aromatics and dark juicy fruit. A blend of younger vines near the valley and older, mid-slope vines on granite, the 2013 ‘Brise Cailloux’ is a smoke-wafting, lip-staining, grin-forming, and energy-defying Cornas of brilliance.