Domaine Coursodon : Silice 2021

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Silice 2021 from Domaine Coursodon

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance unveils a bright ruby color, enhanced by pronounced purple highlights at the rim, a testament to the wine's youth and fresh character.

Nose

The nose reveals a beautiful aromatic complexity dominated by ripe black fruits such as black cherry and blackberry. These aromas are accompanied by savory notes of black olives and garrigue, as well as floral touches of violet and sweet spices reminiscent of black pepper. A subtle dimension of red fruits adds extra finesse to the whole.

Palate

The attack is charming. The wine presents a medium body, supported by balanced alcohol. The tannic structure, both present and delicate, offers a fine and elegant texture. The freshness brought by beautiful acidity energizes the palate and gives the wine remarkable energy. The finish, long and persistent, extends the black fruit aromas while unveiling nuances of leather, earth and slight smoky notes.

Food and wine pairings

The estate recommends pairing this wine with roasted squab served with chanterelles. More broadly, the Silice 2021 pairs perfectly with lamb-based dishes: navarin with dried fruits and sweet spices, braised lamb with chestnuts, or roasted lamb and lamb skewers. Feathered and furred game, as well as semi-hard cheeses with character like Comté, Emmental or Saint-Nectaire are also excellent choices.

Service and cellaring

The Silice 2021 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 15 and 16°C. Decanting for one to two hours before serving allows the wine to fully open up and reveal its entire aromatic palette. This wine can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve favorably until around 2030.

An elegant and mineral Saint-Joseph from the Rhône Valley

The estate

Established in Mauves since the late 19th century, Domaine Coursodon embodies five generations of winemaking expertise in the Rhône Valley. Founded by Jean-Auguste and Antonin Coursodon, the estate developed under the leadership of Gustave, a pioneer of estate bottling, then Pierre who replanted the steep granite slopes in the 1970s. Today, Jérôme Coursodon, at the helm of the estate since 1998 and elected Winemaker of the Year 2022 by the Guide Hachette des Vins, perpetuates this tradition of excellence across 16 hectares spread between Mauves, Tournon-sur-Rhône, Saint-Jean-de-Muzols and Glun. The estate is renowned for its pure, precise and mineral wines, authentic reflections of their granite terroirs.

The vineyard

The Silice 2021 comes from carefully selected plots located on schist and granite soils, with south and south-east exposure. These vines, planted at a high density of 7,000 to 7,500 vines per hectare, are goblet-trained on the steep slopes characteristic of the Saint-Joseph appellation. Yields are voluntarily limited to 36 hectoliters per hectare, well below the authorized limits, to favor concentration and the expression of the terroir. The estate practices environmentally friendly viticulture, with organic amendments, controlled cover cropping and traditional straw tying. Harvesting is exclusively manual, with rigorous double sorting of the grapes.

The vintage

According to Jérôme Coursodon, the 2021 vintage marks a possible return to normality after a series of particularly hot and dry summers since 2015. This year yielded wines with particularly remarkable freshness and energy, characteristics sought after by the estate.

Winemaking and aging

After a second sorting upon arrival at the winery, the Silice 2021 grapes are entirely destemmed then undergo cold maceration for one to three days at approximately 10°C. Fermentation takes place in open tanks for 15 to 18 days, with two daily punch-downs or pump-overs. The wine is then transferred to oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, followed by aging for 12 to 15 months in a mix of new barrels and barrels previously used for the estate's premium cuvées. This rotation imparts a subtle oak influence without masking the expression of the terroir.

Grape variety

100% Syrah