Nicolas Serrette farms a scant 1.5 hectares of Cornas from his family’s vineyard known as “Patou.” But apparently this wasn't small enough for him, because in 2013 he introduced a very special, and achingly tiny production, cuvée called “Henri.” Named after his grandfather, who would have turned 100 in 2013, this is a selection of the best grape bunches from the heart of the parcel. The vines are about the same age as Grandpa Henri would have been, and those centurions give incredible depth, power, and complexity to this soaring Syrah masterpiece. This is definitely one for the cellar, so if you’re lucky enough to grab a few bottles (we only have a couple cases total!) be sure to also load up on the “Patou” so you can enjoy some Cornas while you wait on the “Henri” to blossom.
*Note: this is a pre-arrival offer. We expect the wine to arrive and be ready to ship by late August weather permitting.
In an appellation defined by its painfully limited production (only 125 hectares of vineyard total!), Domaine Dumien-Serrette is still considered tiny. This darling of Cornas was only founded in 1983, despite the fact that previous generations of the Dumien family had sold their precious fruit to the larger producers upriver for decades—Delas, Jaboulet, Chapoutier. Gilbert Serrette put his foot down in the early ‘80s, deciding to try his hand at crafting Cornas to match his formidable spirit—an inky, concentrated, beauty eked out from 70-100-year-old vines planted directly onto decomposed granite.
Today, Nicolas Serrette has picked up where his father Gilbert left off. Both Serrette men are small, sturdy, and energetic as if they’ve assumed the qualities of their beloved vineyards. Or is it the other way around? It would only make sense, considering how much time they’ve invested in their vineyard. ‘Patou’ could easily be farmed in someone’s sprawling backyard and indeed, Nicolas’ approach is more like gardening than it is viticulture. He tends ‘Patou’ according to organic principles, but sees no need to shell out for expensive certification. Dumien-Serrette’s only law is their own, measured by the health of their grapes and the quality of their wines. All the vineyard work is done by hand, and Gilbert even invented a special little cart to pull him slowly up the steep rows while they work.
Like its sibling “Patou,” the 2022 “Henri” pours a deep, almost opaque purple-black with some garnet and magenta at the rim. Serve it at cellar temperature in a Bordeaux stem after a long decant and you’ll get a rush of ripe plums, blackberries, raspberry liqueur, and crushed violets that then give way to savory notes of smoked meat, black and white pepper, rosemary, and pine. The tannins are robust and the rocky, granitic minerality is pronounced, but with time the edges will soften and this will blossom into a soaring, sensationally complex Syrah. All that and the price still clocks in at well under $100. Grab some before it disappears!
