Domaine Courbis, Cornas La Saborette, Rhône, France, 2020
Overview of the Wine
The origins of the Courbis family estate date back to the 16th century. More recently, the brothers Dominique and Laurent Courbis have succeeded their father, Maurice, who was the mayor of Chateaubourg, their hometown.
All the grapes are harvested by hand and yields are kept to an average of 30 hl/ha. The fruit is 100% destemmed and the maceration period for the Syrahs lasts between two and three weeks. The wines mature in oak casks which are new or up to three years old. The red wines are fined with egg whites but not filtered and are bottled between two and three years of the harvest.
The wines of the Courbis estate are some of the most compelling examples of St. Joseph and Cornas being made today. The Courbis brothers have combined their long family experience with a modern style and this has earned them international recognition. Robert Parker sums it up in his book on Rhone wines: “Courbis is a name to watch in the Northern Rhone.” Courbis wines regularly receive rave reviews in Wine Spectator, International Wine Cellar, The Wine Advocate and Revue du Vin de France.
Grapes/Blend
Syrah
Origin
Rhône, France
Winemaker's Tasting Notes
La Sabarotte is Courbis’ most dramatic Cornas, showing saturated black-purple in color with layers of chewy, ripe, sweet fruit with black olive and berry, tar and mineral notes.
97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, I think the 2020 Cornas La Sabarotte is the most complete wine in the lineup. Incredibly rich and concentrated, it has a full-bodied, broad, expansive mouthfeel that carries considerable tannins as well as integrated acidity. It leans heavily toward the blacker fruited end of the spectrum and has lots of background meatiness and spice, and well as classic Cornas iron and bloody nuances. It has more accessibility than the firm, focused Les Eygats but still deserves 3-4 years of bottle age, and it will evolve for 15-20 years. Bravo!
94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a 1.5-hectare parcel of vines planted in 1945 (by Verset), the 2020 Cornas la Sabarotte matures in 50% new oak and 50% second use barrels. Notes of violets and purple raspberries appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is concentrated, rich and velvety, leading into a long, tannic finish. It will need a bit of time in the cellar but should be an outstanding drink around 2030.
Product size: 750ml