The 2019 Cornas flirts with perfection and isn't far off the heavenly 2015. As with the Renaissance, it has a sunny, perfumed, exotic character as well as an incredible bouquet of black cherries, blueberries, ground pepper, game, and leather. Full-bodied, massive, and concentrated on the palate, it packs substantial tannins, is perfectly balance, and has a great, great finish. Cornas doesn't get much better, ladies and gentlemen. Do your best to give bottles 4-5 years, and it will keep thereafter for two decades.

A highly complex bouquet evokes ripe black/blue fruits, candied flowers, olive paste, smoked meat, incense and potpourri, and mineral and earth notes appear as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with intense, spice- and mineral-accented bitter cherry, dark chocolate and violet pastille flavors that show wonderful definition and back-end cut. Velvety, slow-building tannins add shape to an extremely long, subtly chewy finish that delivers real power and mineral drive.