Domaine Courbis Cornas Les Eygats 2021

Cellar for up to 20 years. Decant for up to an hour before serving. This is a lean 100% Syrah wine, exploding with delicious scents of plum, blackberry, cracked black pepper, tobacco smoke, and violet. It was harvested from the steep terraces of Cornas in the Rhône Valley, where the vines grow in granite-rich soils. It also has a stunning appearance in the glass – a deep inky red with hues of purple. A family winery with a history dating back to the 16th century, Domaine Courbis can be found where the Rhône and Isère rivers meet, on the Rhône’s right bank. These days it is owned and operated by two brothers, Laurent and Dominique, who oversaw the winery’s modernisation when the new cellar was built 20 years ago. This is a brilliant, structural representation of Syrah from the Rhône, enveloping the tongue in flavours of red fruits, smoke, toasted oak, and dried herbs. It is round in the mouth, with fine tannins and a long finish with hints of pepper. Prior to bottling, the wine spent 18 months ageing in oak barrels (50% new, imparting an oaky backbone). This Syrah is ideal for pairing with turkey, nut roast, or hard cheese.

Price: £41.18 from 8wines UK