2019 Cornas, Domaine du Tunnel
Dark, opaque core in the glass, nearing black in the centre, there's little doubt that this is going to be an incredibly concentrated, dense wine, the purple cherry-skin coloured brim hints at the fruit to follow.
Such is the density that it almost feels heavy as you give it a swirl, the viscosity of the wine evident as it claws at the sides of the glass. The nose is as intense as the visual cues suggest, black forest gateaux, sweet dark fruit, and hints of violets and subtle spice.
The palate is a sensory delight, even at this relatively youthful stage you can crack apart the fruit components - to a degree - dark roasted coffee, crushed dark cherry and a woody spice jostle for your attention, it's intense but balanced, the true structure a little masked by the fruit and tannic intensity at this stage. The grip on the finish offers a firm frame to the fruit character, it really demands food to curtail the grip, and deliver a blanket of warming spicy fruit.
Every post tasting breath re-awakens aromas and flavours of dark roast coffee and spice, delicious!
A superb wine, if you can cellar for another 5 years++ .