Cornas: Pierre Gaillard Red

The Rhône Valley is home to some of the oldest vineyards in the world, with wine production dating back to Greek occupation in the 4th century BC and thriving under the Romans; it was later revived when the papacy moved to Avignon in the fourteenth century, giving Châteauneuf-du-Pape ('the Pope's new castle') its name. The Northern Rhône is home to prestigious names such as Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, and Hermitage - small-production wines of exceptional quality - where Syrah is the sole red grape and whites come from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. The larger, warmer Southern Rhône is best known for the bold Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its rival Gigondas, alongside excellent-value names such as Vacqueyras, Rasteau, and Cairanne. Its wines are predominantly red, built chiefly on Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.

One of the Northern Rhône's most distinctive appellations, a small, prestigious enclave on the right bank of the river just south of Saint-Joseph, whose name is said to derive from a Celtic word meaning 'burnt earth' — a fitting reference to its sun-drenched, south-facing slopes. Uniquely among the Rhône's crus, it produces only red wine, made exclusively from Syrah, with no white permitted and no blending allowed. Grown on steep granite terraces that trap the heat, the wines are powerful, deeply coloured, and full-bodied, showing intense dark fruit, black pepper, liquorice, and earthy, savoury depth. Famously robust and tannic in youth, they are built to age, softening over many years to reveal remarkable complexity and finesse. Long overshadowed by its grander neighbours, Cornas is increasingly recognised as a source of some of the finest and most characterful Syrah in all of France.