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95 WA. "Similar in style, yet deeper and richer, the 2012 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes comes from 8-9 different parcels and sees roughly 20 months in 15% new French oak barrels. It’s a blockbuster-styled Cornas that doesn’t pull any punches in its sexy, ripe and textured personality. Black raspberry, cassis, licorice, ground herbs and sweet oak all emerge from this polished 2012, and while it dishes out plenty of pleasure now due to its wealth of fruit, it will have 10-15 years of longevity. These awesome wines are made by Alberic Mazoyer. They show relatively modern styles in their youth, but this is due more to the high quality of the grapes and to first-rate winemaking more than the use of new oak, as most only see 15% new barrels or less. His 2012s check in near the top of the vintage and come close to what this estate produced in 2010, which is saying something. While I think the 2013s are a step back, they're easily some of the best wines in the vintage. You can't go wrong here." Wine Advocate #216, Dec 2014 |