2016 Maxime Graillot ‘Equis’ Cornas

In these beautiful carved hills of the Rhône Valley, the soils are of granite. Cornas is the southern most appellation in the northern Rhône, and the only one that requires wines to be only made of Syrah. Traditionally the wines are deep and dense. They are also wonderfully pure-fruited, with fleshy, ripe fruit, and a hedonistic yet wonderfully balanced palate with vibrant, sappy freshness and powdery tannins. Why do we like it? Equis is the organic négoce label of Maxime Graillot and his mate Thomas Schmittel. Out of the three labels they make, the Cornas is the one that is 100% Syrah, the most long lived, but also the least known or seen! The youngest vines in the blend are 20 years old which give fresh dark fruit aromas and the oldest vines go back 80-90 years which, as you can imagine, adds thickness, concentration and body to the wine. Great savour and real raciness with so much elegance for the a wine of this appelation!   Grape            Syrah Country        France                                              Region          Northern Rhone Valley      Vintage         2016