Les Collines de Laure Rouge

A full and spicy red Rhône from Jean-Luc Colombo

Jean-Luc Colombo is a relative newcomer to the Rhône, moving to Cornas in 1982 and making his first wine in 1987.

Named Collines de Laure, this wine is essentially a de-classified Cornas made from younger vines; darkly spicy, expressive and characterful, it is ready for drinking at a much earlier age, and priced more keenly, than a fully-fledged Cornas.

Cornas is a red wine appellation of the Northern Rhône that had somewhat fallen out of favour, but has seen a restoration of interest since the 1980s; the vineyards are on steep granite, resulting in one of the darkest, most inky Syrahs from the region.

This wine has a silver medal from the Sommelier Wine Awards.

Jean Luc Colombo Les Collines de Laure Rouge 2016 (£14.20, independents, Harrods) plums, prunes and small ripe red fruits with a spicy backdrop; good acidity and fine tannins make for a supple and harmonious wine. Rich, generous and adept.

Very Good.

Drinking nicely now out of the bottle with a few swirls in the glass, it will also age.

Match with darker game, such as venison steak, or shavings of mature cheddar.