Lionnet's wines are uncompromisingly honest and wild expressions of the northern Rhône.
Neal Rosenthal was introduced to Lionnet by his Côte-Rôtie producer, Bernard Levet. Levet is certainly a good jumping-off point for getting a sense of Lionnet's wines. Apparently, the Gonon brothers are also fans.
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We've always admired Lionnet's wines, but some earlier vintages had a rustic edge that kept them from being ready for prime time. Without a doubt, that changed. Lionnet is making some of the best wines in Cornas.
The 2021 vintage in the northern Rhône dovetailed beautifully with Lionnet's style. The vintage has a leanness and freshness that harkens back to cooler vintages from decades ago. It's among the most successful wines we tasted from the vintage.
In this vintage, the Cornas Terre Brulée bursts with floral and pepper-inflected spice notes. There's a soaring lift that delivers notes of game, violets, and crushed rock. Probably the biggest endorsement is that some of the Crush staff tasted the wine blind and independently, everyone commented on how well the wine was showing.
Lionnet's family has been growing grapes in Cornas since 1575 and they have some serious sites - Chaillot, Mazards (which is just below Reynards), Pied de la Vigne, and Combe. They follow the old-school philosophy of blending sites, so the granite-dominated sites are combined with limestone ones. The result is a more finessed and gentler expression of Cornas than the bone-crushing style that people generally associate with the appellation.
There's no mistaking that quality at this domaine is on a major uptick. This is a serious, compelling, but accessible bottle of Cornas. Don't miss this!
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
