Smoke & Violets: Grand Colline Syrah

With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, we find ourselves reaching a little deeper into the cellar—grazing over Burgundy and pulling something “a little more”. Perfumed and intensely floral with a background of woodsmoke and pepper, Northern Rhone Syrah can be an incredible experience in the hands of its true masters. Think the savory Hermitage of the Chave family, the detailed St. Joseph of Pierre Gonon, or the powerful-yet-elegant Cornas from Thierry Allemand. It’s black magic wizardry when it all goes right.

Jonathan Jacquart is the latest hand to pull the sword from the stone. A former sommelier at Michelin-starred Lasserre in Paris, he trained under Emmanuel Reynaud at Château Rayas and was then recommended to Allemand. Recognizing Jacquart’s talents and having a vineyard parcel with one of the most breathtaking views in Cornas, Allemand gave Jacquart an opportunity to ply his craft, and Grande Colline was born.

Jacquart has completely transformed the domaine: embracing full biodynamics, reintroducing biodiversity with cows, bees, and diverse plantings, and farming every vine by hand (often alongside his cows Prueuses and Perrières). The extremely high-altitude granite slopes allow for slow, even ripening, while Jacquart keeps the cellar work simple: whole-bunch fermentations, gentle extractions, and aging in neutral barrels from Burgundy’s Domaine Dujac. Once known for their wild, stripped-down natural style, these wines now show precision, balance, and consistency. They are pure Cornas — deep, savory, and peppery— with a perfumed aromatic profile that keeps you going back and back, and well back… If you’re a collector who knows and loves wines like Gonon’s Saint-Joseph or Allemand’s Chaillots, this wine is for you.

A quick note: this wine is currently labeled Vin de France for bureaucratic rather than winemaking reasons (how French!) Make no mistake: this is Cornas in every way. It will be fantastic this autumn, but will continue to age beautifully over the next decade. Production is less than 200 cases per year, so inventory is very limited and typically allocated.