Courbis
From their base in the Northern Rhône village of Châteaubourg, the Courbis brothers have acquired an enviable collection of parcels on south and east facing slopes in the communes of Châteaubourg, Glun and Cornas. This is an ancient family estate, tracing its roots back to the c16th. But since taking over from their father Maurice the brothers have firmly established themselves as leaders of the modern school of winemaking in Saint Joseph and Cornas. The brothers practice sustainable methods, with the grapes harvested by hand, rigorously sorted and 100% de-stemmed. Their aim is to emphasise the specific character of each of the Saint Joseph and Cornas vineyards. They produce some of the most compelling examples of Saint Joseph and Cornas being made today.
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Wine Spectator (94)
This sports some seriously delicious plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors, inlaid with ample brambly grip and backed by lively anise and tar accents on the finish. Vivacious. Best from 2019 through 2029. 200 cases imported.$451.00 -
Vinous (94)
Dark violet color. Ripe dark berries, pungent flowers, licorice and cracked pepper on the expressive nose. Juicy and broad on entry, offering bitter cherry, black raspberry and baking spice flavors and a sweetening vanilla flourish. Round, polished tannins emerge slowly on a very long, smoky finish that strongly echoes the berry and floral notes.$190.00 -
(1x75cl) 2012Wine Advocate (93-95)
In the same ballpark, the 2012 Cornas La Sabarotte (aged 16-18 months in 100% new French oak) offers ample graphite, creme de cassis, licorice and crushed flower notes, with loads of textbook Cornas meatiness in the background. It too is a medium to full-bodied, fresh, vibrant, yet seriously concentrated effort that shows the vintage beautifully. Give it a couple years in the cellar and enjoy it over the following 10-12 years or so.$93.00 -
(1x75cl) 2014Vinous (93)
Bright purple. Heady, smoke- and spice-accented aromas of ripe blueberry, olive paste and potpourri are sharpened by a zesty mineral overtone. Deeply concentrated yet lively on the palate, showing impressive focus and energy to the sweet boysenberry, cassis and floral pastille flavors, which pick up an exotic Indian spice accent as the wine opens up. Smoothly marries power and finesse and finishes extremely long and broad, displaying repeating dark berry character and youthful tannins that build slowly.$116.00 -
Wine Advocate (95-97)
The utterly profound 2015 Cornas La Sabarotte comes from a terrific lieu-dit located in the heart of the appellation and is brought up all in new French oak. Its deep purple/blue color is followed by incredible notes of black raspberries, blueberries, spring flowers, caramelized meats and licorice. Deep, full-bodied, utterly seamless and profound on the palate, with building, sweet tannin, it's a tour de force that will have two decades or more of longevity!$365.00 -
(6x75cl) 2016Wine Advocate (94-96)
The top Cornas here is the 2016 Cornas la Sabarotte. It’s aging in 80% new oak until being bottled in June 2018. Yes, it’s an unabashedly modern style, full-bodied, creamy in texture and offering pristine purple raspberry fruit, but man is this good. It will be hard to keep from drinking this in its first 5-10 years.$360.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (94-97)
The 2017 Cornas La Sabarotte is similarly purple-colored and boasts more black fruits, spice, chocolate, and dried soil/earthy notes. It's full-bodied, powerful and rounded, with a terrific sense of balance and purity paired with ample meatiness, density, and classic full-throttle Cornas character. It might just rival the 2016, which is saying something.$95.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (94-97)
The 2017 Cornas La Sabarotte is similarly purple-colored and boasts more black fruits, spice, chocolate, and dried soil/earthy notes. It's full-bodied, powerful and rounded, with a terrific sense of balance and purity paired with ample meatiness, density, and classic full-throttle Cornas character. It might just rival the 2016, which is saying something.$416.00 -
(1x75cl) 2018
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)
The 2018 Cornas La Sabarotte sees the most new oak (100% actually) and comes from a rocky, granitic southeast facing lieu-dit and vines planted mostly in 1947. Despite the new oak élevage, you wouldn't know it by tasting it. It offers a monster bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, roasted meats, ground pepper, and chocolate, with plenty of classic Cornas meatiness and minerality. Powerful, full-bodied, and opulent on the palate, with a stacked mid-palate, it’s certainly the biggest, richest wine in the lineup. It's going to take 7-8 years for this to shed its considerable baby fat.$102.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)
The 2018 Cornas La Sabarotte sees the most new oak (100% actually) and comes from a rocky, granitic southeast facing lieu-dit and vines planted mostly in 1947. Despite the new oak élevage, you wouldn't know it by tasting it. It offers a monster bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, roasted meats, ground pepper, and chocolate, with plenty of classic Cornas meatiness and minerality. Powerful, full-bodied, and opulent on the palate, with a stacked mid-palate, it’s certainly the biggest, richest wine in the lineup. It's going to take 7-8 years for this to shed its considerable baby fat.$401.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
Glass-staining ruby color. Vibrant, mineral-accented black and blue fruits, olive, exotic spices and a potent violet note on the intensely perfumed nose. Palate-staining blackberry, bitter cherry, licorice and vanilla flavors display sharp detail and become sweeter as the wine opens up. A spicy, extremely long and chewy finish features quickly building tannins that play surprisingly well with the wine's sappy, clinging dark fruit character.$115.00 -
$127.00 -
Vinous (92)
Glass-staining ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark fruit, incense and olive, and a smoky mineral flourish gains power with air. Shows very good depth as well as energy on the palate, offering densely packed blackberry and cherry liqueur flavors sharpened by a jolt of juicy acidity. In a rich yet lively style, showing impressive focus, youthfully chewy tannins and a very long, dark-fruit-driven finish.$118.00 -
Wine Advocate (95-97)
Even inkier-colored than the Sabarotte, the 2015 Cornas les Eygats is another single vineyard release that comes from a site located on the northern edge of the appellation. Aged in 50% new French oak (the balance is in once-used barrels), it offers sensational notes of plums, blueberries, crushed violets, pen ink and barbecue smoke in an utterly profound, decadent, layered, heavenly profile. There's ample tannin here, but they're sweet and polished, and it has an awesome finish. Don't miss it!$430.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)
From a cooler terroir in the northern part of the appellation, the 2017 Cornas Les Eygats is another brilliant example of this wine and the vintage. Thrilling crème de cassis, blueberry, and blackberry fruit notes give way to more ground pepper, granite-like minerality and liquid violet notes with time in the glass. Deep, rich, incredibly sexy, and voluptuous, it has remarkable purity of fruit, a supple, layered, sexy texture, and no hard edges. It's a brilliant, brilliant wine from this great estate.$115.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)
From a cooler terroir in the northern part of the appellation, the 2017 Cornas Les Eygats is another brilliant example of this wine and the vintage. Thrilling crème de cassis, blueberry, and blackberry fruit notes give way to more ground pepper, granite-like minerality and liquid violet notes with time in the glass. Deep, rich, incredibly sexy, and voluptuous, it has remarkable purity of fruit, a supple, layered, sexy texture, and no hard edges. It's a brilliant, brilliant wine from this great estate.$245.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
From a cooler parcel of pure granite soils, the 2018 Cornas Les Eygats is probably the most classic Cornas in the lineup (although these all have plenty of Cornas character) with its more mineral, iron, and almost bloody style. Loaded with massive amounts of blue and black fruits, violets, and crushed rock nuances, this full-bodied, multi-dimensional, seamless Cornas has polished tannins, flawless balance, and a monster of a finish. This broad, expansive, sexy Cornas should drink well for 20+ years.$269.00 -
Vinous (96)
Deep violet color. Displays expansive, oak-spiced dark berry preserve, candied licorice, smoked meat and potpourri aromas with a bright, mineral overtone. The mineral note repeats on the palate, which features vibrant blueberry, cherry liqueur, fruitcake and mocha flavors that slowly open up with aeration. Closes impressively long and smoky, with reverberating minerality and building tannins. 50% new oak.$396.00 -
$314.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95+)
The inky black/blue-colored 2015 Saint Joseph Les Royes from the Courbis team was brought up in one-third each of new, once and twice-used barrels. It offers sensational notes of crème de cassis toasted bread, licorice and pen ink in a massive, rich, concentrated, layered style that is shocking in its depth and richness. It's a crazy good St Joseph.$475.00
