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1989 Noel Verset Cornas #173275153
750ml
Reviews 95 points Vinous "The wine displays highly complex bouquet that evokes raspberry liqueur, incense, potpourri and smoky bacon, with a powerful Asian spice nuance adding lift. It offers palate-staining red fruit and floral pastille flavors, along with suggestions of licorice, olive and fruitcake. Weighty but vibrant, it finishes sweet, seamless and extremely long, with a deft interplay of richness and tension. (JR)"
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About Noel Verset
Noël Verset, a wine legend from Cornas, stands as a testament to the power of tradition and perseverance in winemaking. Born in 1919, Verset began his winemaking journey at the age of 12, working alongside his father in their vineyards. Throughout his remarkable 75-year career, Verset was a champion of traditional winemaking techniques and helped revive the Cornas region along with fellow vignerons Auguste Clape and Rene Balthazar.
Verset's wines are celebrated for their pure expression of Cornas terroir, characterized by powerful yet elegant flavors, velvety textures, and distinctive aromatics. He believed in crafting a single cuvée from his vineyard holdings, which included the esteemed Reynard, Chaillot, Sabarotte, and Champelrose crus. These vineyards were planted with La Petite Syrah, an ancient local clone known for its small, olive-shaped berries that produce wines with greater aromatic complexity than modern clones.
The wines were made using traditional methods such as foot-crushing and no destemming, allowing the essence of the Cornas terroir to shine through. Many consider Verset's wines to be the Cornas equivalent of Gentaz's Côte Rôtie wines, and his dedication to the craft remained consistent until his final vintages.
Sadly, with his retirement in 2006 and passing in 2015, Noël Verset's wines have become increasingly scarce, making them highly prized and sought-after by collectors. The vineyards he nurtured have since passed on to a new generation of winemakers, such as Thierry Allemand and Franck Balthazar, who continue to honor the legacy of Verset and his commitment to the Cornas terroir.
Verset's wines are celebrated for their pure expression of Cornas terroir, characterized by powerful yet elegant flavors, velvety textures, and distinctive aromatics. He believed in crafting a single cuvée from his vineyard holdings, which included the esteemed Reynard, Chaillot, Sabarotte, and Champelrose crus. These vineyards were planted with La Petite Syrah, an ancient local clone known for its small, olive-shaped berries that produce wines with greater aromatic complexity than modern clones.
The wines were made using traditional methods such as foot-crushing and no destemming, allowing the essence of the Cornas terroir to shine through. Many consider Verset's wines to be the Cornas equivalent of Gentaz's Côte Rôtie wines, and his dedication to the craft remained consistent until his final vintages.
Sadly, with his retirement in 2006 and passing in 2015, Noël Verset's wines have become increasingly scarce, making them highly prized and sought-after by collectors. The vineyards he nurtured have since passed on to a new generation of winemakers, such as Thierry Allemand and Franck Balthazar, who continue to honor the legacy of Verset and his commitment to the Cornas terroir.