Cornas Vallon de I’Aigle

Jean-Luc Colombo has been a renowned enologist in the Rhône Valley since the early 1980s. His consultations at prestigious estates across the Rhône quickly earned him a reputation for helping produce incredible expressions of this rugged terroir. But his greatest contribution to the wine world is the exceptional wines he crafts alongside his wife, Anne, and daughter, Laure. The Cornas-based Colombo winery has earned impressive international recognition bringing modern viticultural practices to the region — and for creating beautifully concentrated, balanced, and fresh styles of syrah. Living among their vineyards and wetlands, the family have been committed to sustainable farming, achieving organic certification for their estate vineyards from Ecocert in 2016.

The heart of the Colombo winery is based in Cornas, the smallest appellation in the Rhône Valley. Covering only 325 acres, it is nonetheless highly delineated with incredibly diverse microclimates that make an extraordinary impact on the profile of the wines. With a strong Mediterranean influence, summers here are warm. Ancient vineyards are found mostly on steep, south-facing terraced slopes. Decomposed granite soils and stressed growing conditions greatly contribute to the quintessential quality and character of Cornas wines. Cornas AOC has strict laws. Irrigation is not permitted and maximum yields are 34 hl/ha. It is one of the few appellations in the world dedicated to Syrah. Vallon de L’Aigle (Valley of the Eagle) is a micro blend with only four barrels produced, this is the quintessential expression of Jean-Luc’s savoir-faire in Cornas.

Only the best berries are selected. Free run juice is fermented in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation is in barrels. The wine ages for 24 months (1/3 new, 1/3 one-year, 1/3 two-years).The wine is fined with egg whites and is unfiltered.

Deep ruby red color, with brilliant purple reflections. Very complex nose with subtle aromas of flowers, blueberries and mulberries. On the palate, silky with floral notes of iris and violets with round and harmonious tannins.