Julien Pilon Cornas L'Elegance du Caillou 2018
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Wine Spectator
Quite a plush version by Cornas standards, with waves of juicy plum and blackberry compote rolling through backed by typical lavender, rosemary and bay accents that emerge steadily through the racy, iron-tinged finish. Best from 2022 through 2036.
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2019-
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Although a native to the region, Julien Pilon was not from a family of vintners. Studying winemaking at the university, he worked passionately producing wines in regions from Roussillon to Spain. After extensive travel, Julien returned to his birthplace of Chavanay, determined to make a name for himself.
His tutelage with Pierre-Jean Villa, Patrice Porte and Pierre Gaillard of Côte-Rotie fame, cemented his belief in his talent and Julien Pilon began to plant his roots. In 2010, located on the right bank of the Rhône Valley with Condrieu terroir, Julien started crafting a range of micro-négoce wines from local sources.
Over 10 years later, with the Domaine developed, a team created and winery built, Pilon is producing some of the most exciting Rhône wines of genuine flair and class, attracting enthusiastic attention from noteworthy critics. Creating his first wine in his parents garage, Julien focused on producing wines that respected the identity of their terroir, offering both concentration and finesse.
“I want to show how essential the notion of terroir is. My work in terms of harvest selection, vinification and aging goes in this direction, respecting the identity of each wine.”
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Distinguished as a fine Syrah producing zone since the 18th century, Cornas, like Cote Rotie, is made up of vineyards covering steep and hard-to-work, granite terraces. As a result the region’s wines fell out of favor during the mid 20th century when the global market was more focused on bulk wines and vineyards that yielded high quantities. It wasn’t until the 1980s when a group of energetic young winemakers reestablished the integrity of these precipitous terraces and also began making an ultra-modern style of Syrah. The new style didn’t need a decade before it was drinkable and could reach the consumer faster than the region’s traditional wines. Given the new quality coming out of the zone, its popularity once again soared and today a good Cornas can easily challenge many of those from Hermitage. Characteristics of Syrah from Cornas include teeth-staining flavors of blackberry jam, plum, pepper, violets, smoked game, charcoal, chalk dust and smoke.