Dear Reader,
Domaine Lionnet is the first Cornas producer to join the Great Domaines family. With over twenty years of importing wines from France, it has certainly taken us a while to introduce Cornas to our portfolio, but you can never be in rush when seeking out the best and we believe Lionnet is one of the top domaines today in Cornas.
”Domaine Lionnet delivers highly expressive, unadorned and elegant wines that greatly please old-school purists. With only 2.2 hectares in Cornas and another 1.8 in Saint-Joseph, these wines have never been easy to find, and increasing attention from the market has not made things any easier…Today, I would count this domaine’s wines among the best from Cornas.”
Josh Raynolds for Vinous (December 2022)
Cornas in brief:
Vineyards grow on the right bank of the Rhône, on the eastern slopes of the Massif Central.
Syrah is the appellation’s only authorised grape variety.
Cornas was awarded appellation status in 1938.
But, the terraced plantings and earliest-known chaillées (dry stone walls) supporting them, date back to Roman times.
Steep slopes facing east and south-east, at altitudes of 125 to 400 m.
The area is bordered by Saint-Joseph to the north and Saint-Peray to the south.
Soil predominantly composed of granite.
Ludovic Izerable, a refugee from the Haute Savoie city of Grenoble, married Corinne Lionnet whose winegrowing family in the village of Cornas dates all the way back to 1575. Corinne took control of the domaine in 2003 when her father Pierre retired. The couple immediately converted the domaine to organic farming and have been certified since 2009.
The domaine comprises a mere 2.2 hectares in Cornas and 1.8 hectares in Saint- Joseph. In Cornas, they have seven parcels of vines, ageing between 40 and over 100 years old, and one parcel of young vines that was planted in 2008. No pesticides, herbicides or commercial fertilisers are used, and the soil is worked by horse and a small caterpillar-tracked machine. Grapes are handpicked and vinified as whole bunches. No new wood is used at all.
Not much wine is made at Lionnet, and so today, we share with you a mixed case of three bottles each of two cuvées. There are just 24 of these cases available. In addition, we received just 36 bottles of their Rien Que du Carignan (100% Carignan) which may be requested seperately.
Welcome to the family, Domaine Lionnet!
Lionnet Cornas mixed case
R 5,985
Domaine Lionnet|Cornas Terre Brûlée | 2021 | x 3 bottles | 92-94 pts. Vinous
Produced from a blend of six parcels spread over five single sites – Chaillot, Mazards, Brugères, Combes and Chataignier. Fruit is harvested by hand and fermented whole-bunch in concrete vats. There is no filtration or fining. The wine is matured for eighteen months in used demi-muids, and racked off and bottled according to the lunar calendar.
Domaine Lionnet|Cornas Pur Granit | 2021 | x 3 bottles | 91-93 pts. Vinous
Produced from a one-hectare, single site located on the crest of the hill, just above Chaillot, on the road to Saint-Pierre. Exposure south-east facing with plenty of ventilation from the wind. Fruit is harvested by hand and fermented whole-bunch in stainless steel tanks. There is no filtration or fining. The wine is matured for eighteen months in used demi-muids, and racked off and bottled according to the lunar calendar.
Domaine Lionnet Vin de France
Rien Que du Carignan | NV R 495
Only 36 bottles available
100% Carignan from 95-year-old vines planted on schist. This wine is a collaboration between Lionnet and Corentin Llanas who owns the vines. Vinified by Lionnet, the grapes are de-stemmed and the wine matured in demi-muids for thirteen months. There is no filtration or fining, and the wine is racked off and bottled according to the lunar calendar.
