Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale 2006
Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale is a powerful and elegant Syrah with a rich tapestry of ripe red fruits, spices, and earthy undertones, offering exceptional balance and aging potential.
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Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale 2006
A wine that truly embodies the essence of the Northern Rhône. This vintage showcases a deep, rich ruby color with garnet hues towards the rim. On the nose, it reveals an enticing bouquet of ripe red fruits, including red berries, cassis, and plums, complemented by notes of black pepper, herbs, and a hint of mint. The secondary aromas bring out spices like clove, adding complexity to the wine’s profile.
On the palate, the wine is dry with medium-plus acidity and well-integrated tannins that provide a smooth yet structured mouthfeel. The primary flavors mirror the nose, with ripe red fruits such as cherries, blackberries, and raspberries taking center stage. These are accompanied by subtle hints of spice and black pepper, which add depth and intrigue to the tasting experience.
The finish is long and satisfying, with green notes emerging towards the end, showcasing the wine’s excellent balance between fruit concentration, acidity, and minerality. This wine is already expressive, with great depth and complexity, and it promises to evolve beautifully with further aging, revealing more secondary and tertiary characteristics over time.
Overall, the 2006 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale is a wine of outstanding quality, offering a harmonious blend of flavors and aromas that reflect its terroir and the meticulous craftsmanship behind its production
This exceptional wine starts its journey in the vineyards of Cornas, an appellation known for its steep, terraced slopes and granitic soils, which provide excellent drainage and impart a unique mineral character to the wines. The grapes for La Geynale come from a specific parcel of old vines, some of which were planted as far back as 1910. These venerable vines produce low yields of highly concentrated fruit, contributing to the wine’s intensity and depth of flavor.
Harvesting is done manually to ensure that only the finest grapes are selected. Once in the winery, the grapes undergo a traditional fermentation process in concrete vats. These vats are favored for their ability to maintain a stable temperature, which is crucial for controlling the fermentation process and preserving the wine’s purity. The fermentation typically lasts around three weeks, during which time the cap is regularly punched down to extract maximum color, flavor, and tannins from the grape skins.
After fermentation, the wine is transferred to oak barrels for aging. The use of old oak barrels is a deliberate choice by Robert Michel, as it allows the wine to develop complexity without being overpowered by new oak flavors. The wine spends 18 to 20 months in these barrels, during which time it undergoes malolactic fermentation, a process that softens the acidity and enhances the wine’s mouthfeel. The long aging period also allows the tannins to integrate and the wine to gain additional layers of flavor.
One of the hallmarks of Robert Michel’s winemaking philosophy is minimal intervention. To preserve the wine’s natural character, he avoids filtration, which can strip away some of the wine’s nuances. Instead, the wine is lightly fined with egg whites, a gentle and traditional method that helps to clarify the wine without compromising its integrity.
Throughout the aging process, the wine is carefully monitored and tasted to ensure it reaches its full potential. When the time is right, the wine is bottled and allowed to rest for an additional period before release. This final stage of aging allows the various components of the wine to harmonize, resulting in a well-balanced and expressive wine.
Robert Michel, along with Auguste Clape, has long been seen as the doyen of the Cornas village and it was a genuinely sad day when he announced his retirement following the 2006 vintage. Fortunately the good work looks set to continue as his nephew Vincent Paris takes control.
Robert Michel has been the 9th generation of Michels to produce wine in Cornas. His estate has 7 hectares of vines situated on steeply terraced hillsides and has cellars bang in the middle of the village. The vines have an average age of 40+ years, although the grapes that go to make his single vineyard selection, La Geynale, are from vines planted in 1910.
Syrah
Syrah, or shiraz as it’s known in the New World, is considered to be one of the great noble black grape varieties, because it can produce such deliciously dark, full-bodied and age-worthy wines.
Expect rich, brooding flavours of blackberry, black plums and blackcurrant, with spicy, coffee, leathery and liquorice notes in hotter regions and gamey, truffle notes developing with a bit of age.
The 2006 Robert Michel Cornas La Geynale has received positive reviews and high ratings from wine critics and enthusiasts. While I couldn’t find specific awards for this vintage, it has been highly regarded in the wine community. For example, it has an average rating of 92.3 points on CellarTracker, and it has been praised for its complexity, balance, and aging potential.
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Syrah Wines available at Penventon Hotel
The Country
French wine, steeped in history and tradition, offers a rich tapestry of flavors and styles. Bordeaux’s iconic red blends—Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot—create wines with structured tannins and notes of blackcurrant, plum, and cedar. Burgundy’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay yield velvety reds and crisp whites. Champagne sparkles with toasty brioche and citrus. The Rhône Valley boasts bold Syrah, while Alsace’s Riesling and Gewürztraminer express floral aromas. From Provence’s pale rosés to Corsica’s sun-kissed Vermentino, each bottle tells a story. Santé!
France Wines available at Penventon Hotel
The Region
The Rhone Valley – Syrah reigns supreme here. From the Northern Rhône’s Hermitage to the Southern Rhône’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape, expect bold reds with blackberry, pepper, and violet aromas
Rhone Valley Wines available at Penventon Hotel
The Producer
Robert Michel, along with Auguste Clape, has long been seen as the doyen of the Cornas village and it was a genuinely sad day when he announced his retirement following the 2006 vintage. Fortunately the good work looks set to continue as his nephew Vincent Paris takes control.
Robert Michel has been the 9th generation of Michels to produce wine in Cornas. His estate has 7 hectares of vines situated on steeply terraced hillsides and has cellars bang in the middle of the village. The vines have an average age of 40+ years, although the grapes that go to make his single vineyard selection, La Geynale, are from vines planted in 1910.
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