Domaine Courbis - Cornas 'La Sabarotte' Red 2020

Grape

Syrah (100%)

Tasting notes

This is the most intense and floral wine in the Courbis cellar. It has a wonderful nose brimming with peonies and dried rosemary. The tannins are textured and abundant, finely interlaced with the dark, minty fruit.

"Bottled in June 2021, the 2019 Cornas la Sabarotte delivers huge doses of pristine blueberry and cherry fruit despite being aged in a combination of new and one-year-old barrels. It's full-bodied, rich and tannic but supple, with a long, lively finish. Stylistically, it nicely epitomizes what consumers have come to expect from the Courbis family."Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate

Expert rating

96-98 points Jeb Dunnuck

'Lastly, the 2020 Cornas La Sabarotte doesn't give an inch with regard to color and offers a purple, almost blue hue to go with fabulous black raspberry and blackberry fruits, notes of scorched earth, burning embers, spice, and incense, full-bodied richness, and an expansive, seamless, gorgeously balanced profile on the palate.'

96-98 points Vinous

'Glass-staining ruby color. Vibrant, mineral-accented black and blue fruits, olive, exotic spices and a potent violet note on the intensely perfumed nose. Palate-staining blackberry, bitter cherry, licorice and vanilla flavors display sharp detail and become sweeter as the wine opens up. A spicy, extremely long and chewy finish features quickly building tannins that play surprisingly well with the wine's sappy, clinging dark fruit character. (JR)'

91-94 points 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. It was great to be back at the Courbis's hillside tasting room in the tiny commune of Châteaubourg, hosted by the always genial Laurent Courbis. We started with prepared barrel samples of the 2020s, a vintage which he said, "[is] ripe but fresh, aromatic, with great balance, similar to 2017." We then moved into the bottled 2019s, which are another solid vintage for the Courbis family, although maybe lacking some of the spark of 2020. These are modern, ripe, sometimes oaky wines that I'm sure make some purists wince but which provide immense pleasure and have yet to see prices soar out of reach. (WA)'

More About The Winery

Run by brothers Laurent and Dominique Courbis, Domaine Courbis is a historic Rhône estate with roots dating back to the 16th century. Today, the domaine is celebrated for producing powerful, terroir-driven wines from its holdings in Cornas and the southern end of the Saint-Joseph appellation.

The vineyards, planted on steep slopes of clay, limestone, and granite, yield intense, expressive wines. Reds are crafted exclusively from Syrah, offering richness, spice, and ageing potential, while whites are blends of Marsanne and Roussanne, marked by freshness, texture, and aromatic complexity.

The Courbis brothers farm with respect for nature and practice reasoned viticulture, combining tradition with modern precision. Their complementary skills have elevated the domaine to one of the most respected names in the Rhône Valley.