1978 Domaine
Alain Voge Cornas

BY NEAL MARTIN | OCTOBER 03, 2022

Every
now and then, I am reminded of the greatness of mature Rhônes, especially from
Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Cornas. Alain Voge was instrumental in putting Cornas
on the map. Taking the helm after his father’s death in 1961, Voge set about regenerating
several vineyard sites in enviable locations at higher reaches of the slope, procuring
barrels from Burgundy to mature his wine alongside foudres. He also pioneered
winemaking in Saint-Péray before taking a well-earned retirement. The estate is
now run by Lionel Fraisse. Voge passed away in September 2020 at the age of 81,
and as so often happens, his passing has since seen collectors hunt for
bottles. I’ve very little experience, but a friend recently opened a mature
bottle at <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-noble-rot-soho-london-uk-sep-2020">Noble
Rot</a> in Soho.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1664568951189-cornas+voge+1978+bottle.jpg">The 1978
Cornas attests to the greatness of Voge’s winemaking skill. Alas, there is
a very slight touch of cork taint on the nose, yet clearly there is plenty of
dark berry fruit, loamy and almost peaty underneath. The palate seems
unaffected by the taint. Fully mature with fine tannins and red fruit, an almost
pastille-like purity develops in the glass, with hints of raspberry confit and
black olive. The 1978. is quite piquant in style, with ample freshness on the
finish. It is probably approaching the end of its drinking plateau, yet
well-preserved bottles should give pleasure over the next decade. 91/Drink
2022-2030. <div></div>© 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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