We thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful Syrah from the Cornas appellation in Northern Côtes du Rhône. It offered black cherries and ripe strawberries in the nose, as well as iron, charred wood, green cedar, and black and red licorice. In the mouth, we enjoyed vibrant, sour, red cherries, more iron, black pepper, and earth.
This wine paired extremely well with grilled filet mignon in a mushroom sauce and grilled pork. It also paired nicely with Québec blue cheese, showcasing the wine’s diversity. You could easily pour this well-balanced, layered (read complex), and approachable Syrah with an array of foods. Veal, herb-crusted lamb, and duck come to mind.
The wine, a suggestion by the Fairmont Le Château Montebello’s Maître d’hôtel and sommelier, Virginie Létourneau, capped a fantastic dinner with great service. The meal, once again, reminded us why we love the Château Montebello so much. If you’ve never been, check it out!
At $125 CAD in the restaurant, we’d still consider this offering good value for the money, but you can pick it up for less than $60 per bottle for a more recent vintage at the LCBO. This wine reminds us why the Northern Rhône remains one of our favourite regions in France.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 91/100
Value: 3.5/5
The Bottle Details…
Name: Cornas Les Arènes
Vintage: 2011
Producer: M. Chapoutier S.A.
Region/Country: Appelation Cornas Controlée, Cornas, Rhône, France
Grape Varietals: Syrah (Shiraz)
Alcohol content: 13%
Consumed: In the Aux Chantignoles restaurant at the Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Montebello, Québec
Recommended By: The friendly and knowledgeable Virginie Létourneau, Maître d’Hôtel and Sommelier
Cost: $125 CAD (although we found a 2014 for $57 CAD at the LCBO)
Bottle Presentation: A classic, somewhat reserved presentation (pardon the pun), exactly what one would expect from M. Chapoutier. We appreciated the coat of arms, which gave the label a medieval feel.
The Tasting Details…
Appearance: Medium-deep ruby.
Nose: Medium-plus nose, with black cherry, ripe strawberry, iron (raw meat), charred wood, green cedar, and both red and black licorice (the anise aroma somehow transformed into red licorice as the wine opened).
Taste: Medium-bodied, with medium, drying tannins and high acidity. In the mouth, we tasted sour, red cherries, which had an appealing vibrancy, iron, black pepper, and earth.
Finish: An enduring finish of sour, red cherries and a hint of earth.