Cellar Favorite: 1990 Guy de Barjac Cornas 

BY NEAL MARTIN | JULY 7, 2025

Stick me on a desert island with a choice of one Rhône wine, and I would choose Cornas. I love this appellation, especially the odd occasion when a mature bottle crops up. Dining with friends at Noble Rot in London, I must thank my friend who introduced me to this wonderful Cornas from a producer I knew little about: Guy de Barjac. Consulting John Livingston-Learmonth’s indispensable “The Wines of the Northern Rhône,” I was fascinated to discover that not only can Barjac’s viticultural roots be traced back to the 15th century, but that there is a Cornas lieu-dit named after the family—the 1.13-hectare Barjasse. As it turns out, 1990 was the last vintage that Guy de Barjac bottled. “Guy de Barjac loves parchments and medieval manuscripts and reads Latin for a hobby,” writes Livingston-Learmonth, detailing Barjac’s hobbies after retirement. “De Barjac is also known for deciphering 12th-century documents in Gothic script.” Brilliant.